Firefighters in Greece struggle to save coastal resort as winds rage

ATHENS: Hundreds of firefighters in Greece on Saturday (Aug 1) were battling to save a popular coastal resort northwest of Athens as violent winds continued to lash the country, hampering operations.The fire department said over 300 firefighters were operating in the area of Porto Germeno, some 70km northwest of Athens in the region of Viotia."The fire has reached the sea ... homes have certainly been damaged," a fire department spokesman told AFP."The winds are very strong. Aircraft are trying to operate as best they can, but some are unable to and have been transferred to another fire (in the Peloponnese) where conditions are milder," he added. According to meteo.gr, the weather service of the National Observatory of Athens, winds up to 130 kilometres per hour were recorded Saturday.The