Greece says forest fires contained

Greece's fire department said all major fires were "generally receding," but authorities are on high alert before a new heat …

Greece's fire department said all major fires were "generally receding," but authorities are on high alert before a new heat wave forecast for the weekend.

In the southern Peloponnese peninsula, where 57 of the at least 64 deaths were recorded, all the fronts were contained, and firefighters - backed by more than 20 water-dropping aircraft - were moving in to extinguish lingering fires.

Our main task now is to relieve the pain, the stress and the agony that the victims of the forest fires . . . are feeling
Government spokesman

Temperatures also dropped to about 28 degrees in the region, compared with 41 degrees on August  24th, the day the fires raged unchecked.

But late yesterday authorities evacuated five villages near the mountain village of Karytaina in the central Peloponnese after winds rekindled a blaze.

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At least two major fires are still out of control near the Albanian border to the north-west. On the hard-hit island of Evia, north of Athens, where the other seven deaths occurred, all blazes were contained.

The conservative government will now focus on a vast relief effort, less than three weeks before national elections.

"Our main task now is to relieve the pain, the stress and the agony that the victims of the forest fires . . . are feeling," a government spokesman said.

Arson has been widely blamed for the disaster and six people have been charged with deliberately setting fires.

AP