Greek fire near Corinth under control after five days
A fire near the Greek city of Corinth that burned thousands of hectares of agricultural land and forest has been tackled after five days, the fire department said on Sunday.
"Forces are stationed in the area to monitor the perimeter," the fire department said, with no active front threatening inhabited areas.
The fire broke out on July 22 near the coastal village of Kechries, southeast of Corinth.
According to the EU's Copernicus emergency management service, it burned over 3,300 hectares (8,100 acres) and forced the evacuation of three villages and two camps earlier this week.
A fire department source told AFP some 200 firemen were staying in the area to monitor the situation.
The fire department on Sunday said it had been called to tackle over 50 forest fires just in the last 24 hours.
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Nearly 900 firefighters with over 300 fire engines and an unspecified number of water bombers were deployed.
Three of the fires, including in Kechries, were in the Peloponnese peninsula.
Another broke out on the island of Cephalonia but is under control, the fire department said.
Greece annually battles wildfires during the dry summer season, with strong winds and temperatures frequently exceeding 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit).
Two years ago, 102 people died in the coastal resort of Mati near Athens in Greece's worst fire disaster.
The ongoing judicial investigation has been rocked by claims of an attempted cover-up and alleged threats against a fire investigator.
