Raging fire claims pine forest on Samos

A helicopter fills its water tank from the sea during an operation on Saturday to contain a blaze that raged on the eastern Aegean island of Samos, burning thousands of hectares of pine forest between Floka and Zervou. Initial reports said the fire was inadvertently ignited around noon on Friday by a crew of workers who were conducting repair work near a garbage dump. The strong winds prevailing at the time fanned the flames into a full-fledged blaze. Firefighters from Athens joined the effort to control the fire, which was still raging late Saturday. [Eurokinissi]