(Reuters) - Dozens of wildfires broke out in Greece on Saturday, threatening homes and forcing the evacuation of a nunnery and a children's camp near Athens.
Fanned by strong winds, 45 fires raged across the country, burning large swathes of vegetation but causing little damage to property, the fire brigade said.
Seven fires flared up around Athens, sending thick clouds of smoke over the capital, the first serious wildfires to occur near the city this summer.
The flames wiped out forest left unharmed by a major blaze last year, which destroyed scores of homes and thousands of acres of vegetation.
"The two major fronts in Athens are clearly abating now, we're doing very well, there is no danger," fire brigade chief Stelios Stefanidis said on Skai television.
Earlier, authorities ordered the evacuation of a nunnery near Lake Marathon and a children's camp in the town of Lavrio. Several citizens left their homes to avoid the smoke, while others stayed behind to protect their property using water hoses and tree branches.
More than 150 firefighters, 32 engines, six airplanes and four helicopters were battling to put out the flames.
Wildfires, often laid by arsonists to clear land for development, are frequent in Greece. Anarchic town-planning and illegal rubbish dumps also help the fires break out and spread.
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