Blaze near Athens contained but Europe’s heatwave keeps authorities on alert

A firefighting helicopter dumps water in Mandra, west of Athens (Petros Giannakouris/AP)

Greece’s fire service have intensified water drops west of Athens where a huge blaze was contained overnight – as authorities brace for a new round of extreme weather.

Seven firefighting planes and nine helicopters were operating in the area, including four planes sent from Italy and France as part of a European Union support mechanism.