Wildfire ravages Athens suburbs,thousands flee

Local authorities used loudspeakers to urge residents of Aghios Stefanos to leave the suburb of 20,000,as flames approached. Many abandoned communities around Athens overnight and some were frantically trying to stop the flames from reaching houses with garden hoses and tree branches.

The flames seared about 30,000 acres (12,140 hectares) of forest,farming fields and olive groves.