Greek Firefighters Battle Large Wildfires Close to Athens

(Bloomberg) -- Two wildfires near Greece’s capital torched homes on Sunday as strong winds continued to ignite blazes and keep the nation on high alert.

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One of them broke out in Keratea, some 40 kilometers (25 miles) southeast of Athens and it destroyed properties after authorities ordered the evacuation of many areas. Dozens of firefighters along with water-dropping planes and helicopters were trying to contain the blaze on Sunday afternoon, and police halted traffic in many central roads in the broader area.

The fire was the second to ignite in the town over the weekend and one of many across the nation over the past week. In the 24 hours through Saturday evening, firefighters were called to 54 forest fires.

A separate blaze in the area of Stamata, some 30 km northeast of Athens, burned a forest area and homes, according to local TV footage. Authorities also evacuated a number of areas, while police banned traffic. A man had a heart attack during the blaze and died later on Sunday, local media reported.

Dry weather and an early-season heat wave have made conditions especially bad.

Homes were also scorched on the island of Serifos in the Aegean Sea on Saturday night when a fire ignited that was ultimately brought under control.

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Weather conditions are expected to ease by Monday with authorities limiting very high fire alerts to the island of Crete. Many other regions will still be on high alert.

(Updates with with second wildfire from first paragraph.)

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