Hundreds flee as forest fires rage on either side of Athens

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Two major forest fires raged out of control on either side of Greece’s capital Monday, burning houses, prompting residents to flee and turning the sky over Athens a hazy orange from the smoke.

Regional authorities declared a state of emergency in the western and eastern parts of Attica, the greater Athens area, as coast guard boats headed out to rescue dozens of people trapped on beaches by the flames.

Several other fires broke out across the country, including in northeastern Greece and the southern island of Crete, stretching Greece’s firefighting capabilities. Gale force winds that frequently changed direction were hampering firefighting efforts.

Fire Service spokeswoman Stavroula Malliri said Greece had called on the European Union for assistance with aerial and ground support in helping battle the flames.

Health ministry and police authorities said at least nine people were hospitalized from injuries in the fires, with three reported in serious condition in intensive care. Three major hospitals in the city were on standby in case of more fire victims.

“We are doing everything humanly possible to tray and tackle these fires,” Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said in Bosnia as he cut short a visit there and returned to Athens. “What concerns us is that there are fires occurring simultaneously.”

The first major fire broke out in a pine forest near the seaside settlement of Kineta 50 kilometers (30 miles) west of Athens between the capital and Corinth. At least 220 firefighters were on the scene while five water-dropping planes and seven helicopters helped to fight the blaze from the air. Reinforcements were being sent in from across Greece.

The second broke out Monday afternoon in the Penteli and Rafina areas northeast of Athens. Local authorities said children’s summer camps and a seaside resort for military officers were evacuated, while dozens of homes and cars were reportedly destroyed. At least three aircraft and a helicopter were battling the flames, along with more than 60 firefighters.

There was no official figure on how many people were evacuated overall. The coast guard was sending five vessels to rescue people trapped on nearby beaches by the flames. They said initial reports indicated about 80-85 people needed evacuation by sea.