Residents of a southern suburb of Athens returned to their homes after firefighters managed to bring under control a wildfire that had forced them to evacuate the day before, the emergency services said. "At this point, the fire has been demarcated, the residents are back in their houses'', Deputy Civil Protection Minister, Evangelos Tournas, told a news briefing.
A substantial number of firefighters remained in the area "and will remain as long as it is needed, while aircraft will continue dropping water protectively'', he said. A total of 283 firefighters in 65 vehicles, with the help of groups of bystanders, had battled overnight to bring the fire under control. And two firefighting planes and two helicopters were still in operation early on Sunday. While the fire is in remission, with no burning spots, authorities said they remain on high alert in case it breaks out again. — AFP
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