June 26, 2008	Thursday	Jamadi-us-Sani 21, 1429

ATHENS, June 25: A forest fire near the Greek capital Athens forced power networks to shut down on Wednesday, causing blackouts, fire officials said.

At least 20 fire engines, scores of firefighters, three helicopters and eight fire-fighting planes were battling the blaze, about 20 km southeast of Athens.

“It is a very difficult operation as the front is very wide and winds are strong,” said a fire official who declined to be named.

Rescue services were called in to rescue dozens of people trapped in elevators after electric pylons near the blaze were automatically shut down.

“Coastal suburbs and the centre of Athens were affected after power lines ... were forced offline,” an official from electricity utility Public Power Corp. (PPC) said.

Firefighters were working to prevent the fire from spreading to the main international airport, but airport officials said no flights had been affected so far.

Last year, southern Greece was ravaged by wildfires that swept through villages during a 10-day inferno that killed at least 65 people and devastated the local economy.—Reuters