KOUVARAS, Greece, July 17 (Reuters) - Two wildfires, fanned by strong winds, raged uncontrolled through coastal towns near Athens on Monday forcing residents to flee their homes and prompting the evacuation of hundreds of children from a summer camp.
The blaze that broke out in the village of Kouvaras, about 27 km (17 miles) southeast of the Greek capital, spread fast amid erratic winds, a Greek fire service official said.
Dozens of horses were evacuated in trucks as the flames reached stables in the nearby areas of Kalyvia and Anavyssos.
[1/10]Flames approach a house as a wildfire burns in Saronida, near Athens, Greece, July 17.
There is a very high risk for fires," Artopoios said adding that strong winds will persist.
Persons:
Ioannis Artopoios, Stelios Misinas, Artopoios, Greece's, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, We've, Stamos, Lefteris, Angeliki Koutantou, Renee Maltezou, Andrew Heavens, Sharon Singleton, Christina Fincher
Organizations:
Reuters, Police, Fire, Flames, REUTERS, Authorities, Thomson
Locations:
KOUVARAS, Greece, Athens, Kouvaras, Lagonisi, Kalyvia, Loutraki, Saronida, Dervenochoria, Brussels, Mati