Large fire on Zakynthos abates

A large blaze that broke out on the Ionian island of Zakynthos on Saturday had largely abated on Sunday following an overnight operation by firefighters.

The fire, which broke out in a pine forest in the area of Maries, had razed dozens of hectares before nightfall on Saturday.

Strong winds had stoked the blaze initially, making it difficult for firefighting crews to contain the flames. But firefighters battled the blaze throughout the night and managed to keep it away from residential areas.

Canadair water-dropping aircraft joined the effort on Sunday morning and had largely contained the blaze by early afternoon.

Firefighters remained on standby for a possible rekindling of the flames however as winds were expected to pick up later in the day.