Forest fires in Greece force evacuations

Forest fires in Greece force evacuations

About 300 army conscripts joined 150 firefighters and volunteers at the Parnitha fire, which burned pine forest on two main fronts.

Scores more homes were evacuated in central Greece, where two men were trapped and killed in a blaze Thursday and property was destroyed.

"There is a lot of work that remains to be done," Public Order Minister Vyron Polydoras said. "Our struggle continues, we are not over this difficult period."

More than 300 fires have been reported since Wednesday, amid a heat wave that had pushed temperatures up to 46 C (115 F) and was blamed for 12 heatstroke deaths in the past week, fire and health officials said. Three new heatstroke deaths were confirmed Friday.

Seven large fires were still in burning Friday near Athens and parts of central and northern Greece.

"This problem was created by extreme weather conditions. In some parts of Greece we had the highest temperatures ever recorded," Polydoras said, adding that the pattern of fire outbreaks in several cases suggested arson.

The National Weather Service said temperatures would continue to drop through the weekend, down to 33 C (91.4 F) with storms forecast in eastern parts of the country.

Greece has received help from France and Italy to boost its fleet of water-dumping aircraft.

The environmental group WWF said the Parnitha fire would likely cause lasting damage to the national park.

"Mount Parnitha is one of the main sources of greenery in Athens and is very important for the climate of the city. The effects of this catastrophe will be felt for months," Demetres Karavellas, WWF's CEO in Greece, told state-run NET television.

"The national park is very rich in endemic species of animals and plants, it has the largest population in Greece of red deer."

Greece's main opposition Socialist party said the government had displayed "ineffective" planning, failing to divert the proper resources to Parnitha — a charge denied by Fire Chief Andreas Kois.

"Everything we had was in the air," Kois said. "We had to move planes away from Parnitha to save homes at (another) fire ... We can only use what we have."