As fires burn, authorities ban access to forests

As firefighters sought to extinguish a spate of blazes across Greece on Friday, authorities announced a ban pedestrians and motorists accessing forested areas through Sunday.

A large fire that broke out earlier in the day in the area of Katsimidi, near Mount Parnitha, had been largely curbed by late on Friday, according to a senior firefighting official who told Skai that the blaze started near an old military base but gave no details about what caused it.

A similarly large fire on the island of Thassos in the northern Aegean was still burning on Friday night.

Other fires, in Arcadia, Achaia and Ftiothida had been brought under partial control by late Friday.