Wildfires threaten seaside homes near Athens

(18 Jul 2023)

FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER:4444927

RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Agioi Theodoroi, Greece - 17 July 2023
++NIGHT SHOTS++
1. Wildfires
HEADLINE: Wildfires threaten seaside homes near Athens

2. Firefighter truck driving past
3. Wildfires
ANNOTATION: Wildfires forced thousands to flee seaside resorts, closed highways and gutted vacation homes in Greece.

4. Various of smoke and fire on hillside
++DAY SHOTS++
ANNOTATION: Outside Athens, high winds pushed flames through hillside scrub and pine forests parched by days of extreme heat.

5. Smoke near a residential area
6. Fire burning hay at horse stable
ANNOTATION: Authorities issued evacuation orders for at least six seaside communities as two major wildfires edged closer to summer resort towns.

7. Various of helicopters dropping water
ANNOTATION: Before nightfall, water-dropping planes and helicopters tackled the flames.

8. Firefighters
9. Various of local residents trying to extinguish fire
ANNOTATION: Greater Athens and much of southern Greece were on the second highest level of alert for wildfires following a four-day heat wave.

10. Bush fire
ANNOTATION: Although the spell had eased, extreme temperatures were expected to return in the coming days.

STORYLINE:
Wildfires forced thousands to flee seaside resorts, closed highways and gutted vacation homes in Greece.

Outside Athens, high winds pushed flames through hillside scrub and pine forests parched by days of extreme heat.

Authorities issued evacuation orders for at least six seaside communities as two major wildfires edged closer to summer resort towns.

Before nightfall, water-dropping planes and helicopters tackled the flames.

Greater Athens and much of southern Greece were on the second highest level of alert for wildfires following a four-day heat wave.

Although the spell had eased, extreme temperatures were expected to return in the coming days.

AP video shot by Lefteris Pitarakis

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