Firefighters calm the deadly Athens inferno

Greek emergency services fought back yesterday against a massive wildfire that scorched the Athens suburbs, killing a woman, causing widespread damage and sending thousands of people fleeing from their homes.A fire department spokesperson told AFP that "pockets of flame” were being dealt with but there were no longer "areas of particular concern”.Hundreds of firefighters, backed by around 200 fire engines and 20 water-bombing aircraft battled the blaze that started Sunday in Varnavas, some 35km from Athens.The body of a Moldovan woman was found in a burned-out factory and at least 66 people have been treated for injuries, authorities said. Five firefighters have been hurt.Fuelled by strong winds, the wildfire raced across parched landscape northeast of the capital, destroying dozens of houses, cars and businesses in the over 10,000 hectares of land it has devastated.After a Greek appeal for international assistance, France, Italy, Czech Republic, Romania, Serbia and Turkiye were sending hundreds of firefighters along with helicopters, fire engines and water tankers, authorities said.The fire scaled Mount Pentelikon overlooking Athens and badly hit the suburbs of Nea Penteli, Palaia Penteli, Patima Halandriou and Vrilissia.Sports halls including the Athens Olympic Stadium were set aside to shelter the homeless. One former Olympic hall was earmarked for more than 150 rescued pets."We saw huge flames, and at the same time (explosions) began. We thought we were at war,” Nikos Karoulias, a 71-year-old former defender for Greece’s national football team, told AFP in Penteli.The body of a Moldovan worker in her 60s was found in a factory in the suburb of Halandri. A bouquet of white flowers was laid in tribute in the mess of burned-out steel and scorched chairs and tables.Halandri mayor Simos Roussos told ERT state television that he saw nearly a dozen homes destroyed by fire in his town. Businesses, used car and coal yards and paint warehouses were also affected, he said."The fire travelled 50km and changed direction 10 times,” Roussos said. The mayors of Penteli and Varnavas each reported a dozen homes destroyed in their areas.The labour ministry banned outdoor working in areas hit by the fires because so many factories that burned on Monday contained toxic chemicals.With much of the capital covered by acrid smoke for two straight days, scientists reported an alarming rise in hazardous airborne particles, particularly from Sunday night to Monday night.