(ANSA-AFP) - ATHENS, AUG 11 - Hundreds of firefighters were
battling to control two massive wildfires in Greece on
Wednesday, one raging for nine straight days, that have left
hundreds homeless and caused incalculable damage. With the
assistance of a huge multinational force, Greek fire crews were
fighting to beat back blazes on the island of Evia and in the
Peloponnese peninsula in rugged terrain. Hundreds have been left
homeless and face a harsh winter, not only at the mercy of
floods, but also because of their lost agricultural livelihood
and income from tourism. "I think we can say that the fire
fronts are slowly coming under control," Yiannis Kontzias, mayor
of the Evia town of Istiaia that has been under threat for days,
told state TV ERT. "Yesterday, we saw the light of the sun for
the first time in days," he said, referring to giant smoke
clouds that have choked residents and obstructed flights by
water-bombing aircraft. (ANSA-AFP).
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