Large wildfire threatens homes on Ionian island of Zakynthos

A large wildfire threatened homes on the holiday island of Zakynthos in the Ionian Sea on Saturday, despite efforts by authorities to contain the blaze.

The fire was unfolding on four separate fronts, near the villages of Anafonitria, Volimes and Porto Vromi, as well as on Mount Skopos, just a few kilometers from the outskirts of the main town.

Earlier on Saturday, the blaze razed the residence of an elderly couple and damaged a taverna in Anafonitria, where the fire is reportedly at its worst, but concerns that more homes are at risk grew later in the evening as the fire showed no signs of abating.

Firefighters and trucks have been dispatched from the mainland to help the effort.