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While firefighters are struggling with the huge fire in the area of ​​Laconia, two blazes are raging around Athens.

One is in the area of ​​Mount Hymettus and the other near Koropi suburb.

The data known so far indicate the fire in the mountains as huger. It broke out in the region between the cemetery in Vironas neighbourhood and Katechaki Avenue and it has already spread to the forest area. Greek television footage is showing flames that are very close to residential buildings.

Photo: kathimerini.gr

Reporters on the scene are announcing that, due to strong winds, the fire is rapidly moving towards the surrounding neighbourhoods. Some of the residents who are at their homes are trying to save them by spraying water with hoses.

The fire has broken literally in a few minutes. Half of the territory of Athens is covered with smoke.

Currently the fire extinguishing operation involves 15 fire engines with 40 crewmembers, 2 Canadair firefighting planes and 1 helicopter.

The fire near Koropi is burning an area of low vegetation.

Meanwhile, one of the fire aircrafts involved in the fire extinguishing operation in the Peloponnese has force-landed near the village of Falakro in Laconia area. Neither of the two crewmembers is injured.

According to sources, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras is at the operations centre of the fire service that is attempting to prevent the fire in Hymettus from descending and putting at risk residential buildings.

The fire in the Peloponnese is threatening to reach Neapoli, as reported by the local information site apela.gr. The city health centre has been evacuated. Those residents who have respiratory problems have been transferred to the school whereas the occupants of the houses near the fire have been warned to leave them.

Minister of Economic Development and Energy Panagiotis Lafazanis arrived in Kareas neighbourhood to follow on the spot the situation with the fire in Hymettus.

After making statements to the media, expressing his will for "the fire to be extinguished as soon as possible and people to calm down", the residents of the neighbourhood attacked him verbally, shouting, "Tell us why you are here" and "Get out".

Greek Minister of Citizen Protection Yiannis Panousis has requested Italy and France to assist in the fire extinguishing. The two countries have responded to the request and in the coming hours they will engage in the operations through areal firefighting.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has stated before the media that firefighting aircraft from Thessaloniki will take part in the fire extinguishing operation in Hymettus, adding that Greece has requested assistance from the European Civil Protection Mechanism and will require help from individual European countries if necessary.

The Greek media are reporting that the situation in Hymettus is gradually under control unlike the fires in the Peloponnese.

Photo: EUROKINISSI/ Tatiana Bolari

Fire fighting in Attica continues. Now firefighters are operating in the south-eastern suburbs of Athens, namely Ilioupouli and Argiroupouli. According to residents, incendiary fire had caused the blaze there, as they had heard small explosions prior to the outbreak, probably of small gas cylinders. The fire extinguishing operation involves 10 fire trucks, 30 firefighters, 1 helicopter and 1 Canadair aircraft. The nuns of the Monastery of Saint John the Baptist of Karea have been evacuated as well as the house of child support organization The Smile of the Child.

Fires also raged today on the island of Euboea, in the region of Malakasa and Argolis in the Peloponnese.

The residents of Afra village on the island of Euboea have been evacuated as a precaution, as the flames have come as close as 20 metres from their houses. According to the mayor of the region, the situation is critical, because the huge raging blaze is only half a kilometre away from the village.

The fire department has received information on a fire in the region of Milesi that is located between Malakasa and Oropos north of Athens. There has been no assessment of the size of the fire up to this moment.

Strong wind gusts are hampering the work of firefighters.

According to the latest information of the Greek fire department, the situation in Laconia area is particularly difficult because of strong winds. The fire extinguishing operation involves 120 firefighters, 39-member land squad and aerial firefighting resources.

The spokesman for the fire department has pointed out that a pre-trial investigation on all fires that occurred today is underway and confirmed that Greece has sent a request for assistance to the European Civil Protection Mechanism.