Greece: Large forest blaze forces evacuations west of Athens

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — More than 130 Greek firefighters are battling a large forest blaze that forced the evacuation of a village west of Athens. It’s the latest in a series of wildfires as strong winds swept Greece. The fire service said that by Tuesday evening, the blaze was spreading at a much slower pace. It broke out around noon near Porto Germeno. The seaside town is 70 kilometers (44 miles) west of Athens. Ten water-dropping aircraft were also deployed. The small village of Mytikas was ordered evacuated as a precaution. There were no reports of injuries. Greek media said one house was damaged. The fire service said it had dealt with more than 300 forest fires over the past week.