Resort fire quenched after six-day battle
27/08/2006 - 14:01:04A fire in the Halkidiki holiday peninsula in Greece has been put out after firefighters battled for six days and 12,500 acres of forest was destroyed, authorities said today.
The fire, which started on Monday, forced the evacuation of several thousand tourists and local residents, and damaged or destroyed dozens of homes. A German tourist drowned during the evacuation.
The Fire Service said blazes in the Cassandra area of Halkidiki, northern Greece, had been put out, but that tanker planes and firefighters remained deployed to prevent fires reigniting.
Authorities initially had suspected arson, but later said they believed a storm may have started the blaze.
