The New Nation - Internet Edition

Reuters, Athens

Hundreds of firefighters battled fires that raged along the outskirts of Athens on Wednesday, some started by gypsies burning for scrap, with the fronts threatening to cut off a major highway out of the city.

Some 30 fire engines, and two helicopters were battling to control the flames near the industrial town of Aspropyrgos, 20 kilometers (12 miles) west of Athens, Greek fire officials said.

The fires were approaching the major road artery of Attiki Odos, which connects Athens to the country's national highway network, and officials were starting to divert traffic to parallel roads. At least four warehouses were damaged with dozens more threatened in what is one of Greece's main industrial zones. Hundreds of factories, warehouses and businesses are based in Aspropyrgos. The blazes were part of at least 102 fronts burning across the country, with firefighters battling blazes in central, northern Greece and the island of Andros, officials said.

"The situation is still difficult but houses are not threatened. It was quite bad this morning," Aspropyrgos deputy mayor George Tsokas told Reuters. "It seems as if some of the fires started from a gypsy settlement early this morning."