Wildfire breaks out in Athens suburb, dozen houses evacuated

A wildfire broke out on Saturday in a seaside suburb of Athens, the local Fire Brigade said. The blaze has not approached residential zones and no injuries have been reported, according to local authorities.

However, a dozen houses have been evacuated as a precaution measure, George Sofronis, mayor of Saronikos, a municipality in the East Attica regional unit, told Greek national news agency AMNA.

In addition, traffic has been diverted, as the fire is burning pine trees and bushes in the area.

Two water dropping aircrafts and a helicopter assist 30 firemen who have been deployed to extinguish the flames, the Fire Brigade said.

Each summer Greece suffers from destructive wildfires which are caused by arson or high temperatures.

A wildfire which swept through a seaside resort 30 kilometers east of Athens last July resulted in 102 deaths and major material damages.