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Greek firefighters are battling a large forest fire that forced the evacuation of a small village west of Athens, BTA reported. 

The fire service said more than 130 firefighters and volunteers, aided by 10 water jets, were battling the blaze, which broke out around midday today near the seaside town of Porto Germeno, 70km west of Athens.

As a precaution, the village of Mitikas was ordered to be evacuated, but there were no reports of injuries or property damage.

A large forest fire rages near Athens

Authorities said strong winds that kept changing direction made it difficult to extinguish the fire.

The Met Office said winds were expected to ease in the evening.

Today, in several parts of the country, an increased readiness for the work of the fire services was announced against the background of the predicted high risk of forest fires. 

Two other fires are still burning today in the southern Peloponnese. 

The fire service said it had tackled more than 300 wildfires in the past week.

Early today, firefighters managed to contain a large fire that threatened a large area of ​​olive groves near the town of Itea, in the plain below the ancient city of Delphi in central Greece.

About 300 hectares of a total of 5,500 hectares of olive plantations were burned.

The ancient site was not in danger.

Yesterday, a fire forced the evacuation by sea of ​​73 residents of a beach hotel near Kranidi in the northeastern Peloponnese.

There were no injured people, according to the AP.

Every summer Greece suffers from devastating forest fires.

In 2018, more than 100 people died in a fire in the seaside resort of Matti, east of Athens.

Since then, authorities have focused on rapid, preemptive evacuation of threatened populations.

evacuation of people

Forest fire

near Athens