Greece battling wildfires amid high winds

(ANSA-AFP) - ATHENS, 11 AGO - Greece was battling several wildfires on Sunday, with smoke covering parts of the capital Athens in a haze, amid warnings for extreme weather conditions for the rest of the week. The country's minister for civil protection had warned a day earlier that half the country was under a high-risk warning for fires due to high temperatures, wind gusts and drought conditions.
    In the region of East Attica, a blaze in the town of Varnavas was raging in an area with scattered houses, emitting so much smoke that the capital Athens glowed red at one point on Sunday afternoon. Fire officials said a force of 165 firefighters with 30 vehicles, seven firefighting aircraft and five helicopters have been deployed while Varnavas residents were instructed to evacuate.
    Another fire erupted earlier on Sunday afternoon in Megara, West Attica, triggering an evacuation alert. Forty-eight firefighters equipped with 13 vehicles and additional volunteers were working on the ground, while two planes and two helicopters provided aerial support. In Thessaloniki, a fire in the town of Lagadas was partially under control, with 20 firefighters, 10 vehicles and one helicopter at the scene. Climate crisis and civil protection minister Vassilis Kikilias had warned Saturday that weather conditions leading up to August 15 would be dangerous for forest fires. (ANSA-AFP).