Firefighters tackle holiday-island blazes

Firefighters are battling a series of forest blazes on three Greek islands and the mainland.

The fire department said the blazes started yesterday on the holiday islands of Zakynthos, Kephallonia and Lefkada, as well as near the village of Zilefto in central Greece. No inhabited areas were under threat.

Strong winds were hampering firefighting efforts and strengthening the flames.

Around 250 firefighters were tackling the blazes, and the fire department said reinforcements would be sent in overnight. The causes of the fires were unknown.

Greece suffers destructive forest fires every summer, although this year the damage so far has been comparatively small. In 2007, 76 people died when blazes swept through central and southern Greece.