Resurgent wildfires in Greece burn homes, threaten monuments

Forest fires fueled by a protracted heat wave raged overnight in Greece on Thursday. A resurgent wildfire burned homes north of Athens and blazes across southern Greece forced more evacuations even as firefighters fought to save some monuments.

A resurgent wildfire burned homes north of Athens and blazes across southern Greece forced more evacuations Thursday as weather conditions worsened and firefighters in a round-the-clock battle fought to save a former royal palace and the birthplace of the ancient Olympics. In a dramatic scene as flames approached, fire crews went house to house to escort residents out of homes some 20 km (12 1/2 miles) north of the capital. The fire threatened the power supply to parts of the capital after damaging the transmission network, officials said.