Fire service says blaze in Vari largely contained

Scores of firefighters and water-bombing aircraft succeeded late Wednesday in taming a large wildfire on the fringes of Athens that forced authorities to evacuate two nearby settlements.

The fire service said the blaze near Athens - one of dozens all over the country Wednesday - had been largely contained but firefighters would remain on alert all evening to stop it reviving.

Officials said the wildfire was exacerbated by windy, hot and dry weather and appeared to have been deliberately started.

It broke out in low scrub and olive trees in a sparsely inhabited area near Vari, some 30 kilometers south of central Athens.

Fire service spokesman Vassilis Vathrakogiannis said winds at times reached gale force, while police were enlisted to remove some residents from their homes.

Local authorities also said the fire appeared to be abating late Wednesday...