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Greece is struggling to contain four major forest fires within its borders as firefighters are strained and homes evacuated.
The latest fire started on Saturday morning on the island of Lesbos, forcing local authorities to evacuate hundreds of homes and the exclusive resort. Authorities have evacuated 450 people because of this fire alone, while three others continue to burn in mainland Greece.
Approximately 50 firefighters, 17 fire engines and nine firefighting planes were battling the blaze on Saturday, fire department spokesman Yiannis Artopoiios told reporters.
The remaining fires are in Western Macedonia, the Southern Peloponnese region and in the northeastern Dadia National Forest near the Greek-Turkish border.
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A firefighter tries to put out a forest fire near the beach resort of Vatera, on the eastern Aegean island of Lesbos, Greece, Saturday, July 23, 2022. (AP Photo/Yorgos Karahalis)
Firefighting planes load water from the sea during a wildfire near the seaside resort of Vatera, on the eastern Aegean island of Lesvos, Saturday, July 23, 2022. Local residents were evacuated on Saturday as a wildfire threatened properties near a beach in the southern part of the island, which is also a popular tourist attraction. (AP Photo/Panagiotis Balaskas)
The latter is the biggest fire that requires herculean efforts to control. The National Fire Service has allocated 320 firefighters, 68 fire trucks, 18 fire planes to fight the flames.
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More than 200 loggers have also been tasked with clearing large areas of the forest to stop the fire from spreading.
A fire burns next to houses in the Drafi area east of Athens on Wednesday, July 20, 2022. Hundreds of people were evacuated from their homes late Tuesday as a forest fire threatened the mountainous suburbs northeast of Athens. Firefighters battled through the night, struggling to contain the blaze, which was fanned by strong gusts of wind. (AP Photo/Thanasis Stavrakis)
A firefighting plane drops water on a forest fire as smoke rises near the village of Vrissa, on the eastern Aegean island of Lesbos, Sunday, July 24, 2022. A fire that broke out Saturday morning on the Greek island of Lesvos prompted authorities to call for the evacuation of the Vatera resort in the south of the island. (AP Photo/Panagiotis Balaskas)
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While another fire threatened the ancient city of Athens earlier this month, authorities declared the fire under control last week.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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