ATHENS, Aug. 12 (Xinhua) -- A large fire has broken out in the Athens suburb of Peania and spread quickly overnight, prompting an evacuation of nearby residents on early Monday morning.
Local authorities said the forest fire broke out at about 3:30 a.m. local time (0030 GMT) in the town of Peania, an eastern suburb of the Greek capital, at the foot of Mount Hymettus.
More than 100 firefighters and dozens of vehicles had been immediately sent to the fire-ravaged site, authorities said, adding that police were deployed to help evacuate local residents.
Due to the combination of strong winds and a new heat wave which has gripped Greece this week sending temperatures up to 40 degrees Celsius, Greek authorities have declared a state of "red alert" for this weekend. Enditem
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