ATHENS (Sputnik) — Athens has sent France and Italy a request for help in tackling forest fires in southern Greece by deploying water-dropping helicopters and is now waiting for a response, First Deputy Interior Minister Giannis Panousis said Friday.
Earlier in the day, a massive forest fire erupted in the southern Peloponnese peninsula, with authorities evacuating three villages. The fire has been spreading quickly due to high temperatures and strong winds.
During his visit to the emergency fire department, Panousis informed Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras of the plea for support from France and Italy, the Athens News Agency reported.
Firefighters are also battling a smaller forest fire on the outskirts of Athens.
According to the Hellenic Air Force General Staff, a firefighting plane had to make an emergency landing earlier on Friday. None of the crew members were injured.
In total, two helicopters, 120 firefighters, and some 30 soldiers are fighting fires in the area.
Forest and brush fires are common during Greece's hot, dry summers. In 2007, flames engulfed large tracts of forested areas in southern Greece, damaging dozens of villages and killing some 60 people.
