Greece: Large forest blaze forces evacuations west of Athens

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greek firefighters are battling a large forest blaze that forced the evacuation of a village west of Athens. It’s the latest in a series of wildfires that flared as strong winds swept several parts of Greece. The fire service said more than 130 firefighters and volunteers were struggling to contain the fire that broke out around noon Tuesday near Porto Germeno. The seaside town is 70 kilometers (44 miles) west of Athens. Ten water-dropping aircraft were also deployed to fight the fire. The small village of Mytikas was ordered evacuated as a precaution. But there were no reports of injuries or damage to property. The fire service said it had dealt with more than 300 forest fires over the past week.