Fires break out in Attica and Messinia

Firefighters on Thursday morning were battling two separate blazes in the hopes that they would not spread because of strong winds.

In Kryoneri, northeast of Athens, 15 trucks, four water-dumping airplanes and a helicopter were trying to put out a fire that started in a remote forested area shortly after 10 a.m.

Winds in excess of 6 on the Beaufort scale were making their task that much harder, but firefighters said it does not appear the blaze will threaten homes in the area.

In Messinia in the southwest Peloponnese, six trucks and four planes tried to contain a scattered brush fire on the craggy hills of Metaxada. This blaze too, was not threatening any residential areas in the region.