Fires rage across sizzling Greece, two dead

By Karolos Grohmann

ATHENS (Reuters) - Dozens of forest fires, fanned by strong winds in a six-day heatwave, raged across central and southern Greece on Thursday, killing two people and burning scores of homes.

Athens was covered in a cloud of thick black smoke as a forest fire that started 80 kilometers to the north on Wednesday spilled over Mount Parnitha and was closing in on the capital's northwestern suburbs.

Hundreds of firefighters and volunteers battled the blaze around 25 kilometers north of the capital as airplanes and helicopters were forced to land due to the dark.

"This is a very difficult situation. The fire has climbed over the mountain and is now coming down the southern slope," Deputy Eastern Attica Prefect Charis Damaskos told reporters on the mountain near a casino hotel that had been evacuated.

"I do not know how this fire can be stopped."

The fire started in Dervenochoria before another part of the forest further south caught fire, sending a huge plume of thick black smoke rising into the sky, visible from all over Athens.

As night fell and the blaze drew closer to the capital's Menidi and Thrakomakedones suburbs, speeding through the lush pine forest of the Parnitha National Park, flames could be seen from many kilometers away.

"This is a very difficult night. There are some signs of optimism and we will fight this all night," Public Order Minister Byron Polydoras told reporters. More than 130 fires had broken out in the past 48 hours, he said.

The Greek air force ordered the evacuation of staff by helicopter from a radar station on top of Parnitha, while a summer camp and houses in the area were also evacuated.

Fire brigade officials said many of the fires had been triggered by explosions of electricity pylons due to the heat, but in some cases they were investigating suspected arson.

The two men died of smoke inhalation when a fire near the central Greek town of Agia encircled their car, forcing them to flee in vain on foot.

DEADLY HEAT

Temperatures across the country held above 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) for a sixth consecutive day, stretching emergency services and power demand. Temperatures reached 46C earlier this week.

Before Thursday's deaths, the worst heatwave in Greece in 110 years had killed at least 10 people. Nine died from heatstroke and more than 250 people have been hospitalised.

The country also faced hours-long power outages in many areas, including parts of the capital, due to increased energy consumption and damage to the grid. An electricity station in the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki exploded, causing a small fire and cutting power to many parts of the region.