A wildfire that began on Sunday on Mt. Kithaironas, extreme northwestern Attica prefecture, and which veered towards the holiday resort of Porto Germeno on Monday, was the most ominous of the dozens of wildfires reported in the country.

   Meanwhile, active fronts related to the previous day's major wildfire in northeast Attica, north, northeast and east of the greater Athens area, were centred in the Kalitechnoupolis community of Pikermi municipality. Damages include 15,000 burned hectares of forest and pastureland so far in the area.

   At one point, police interrupted traffic on the main highway leading east out of Athens towards the Mesogeia district and the port of Rafina.

   Earlier, fire-fighting forces stopped flames from approaching the Daou site on Mt. Penteli, as flames reignited during the day in many previously extinguished fires.

   Yet another wildfire was burning east of the harbour town of Karystos, Evia island, along a mountain slopes mostly covered with brush. Nevertheless, 11 vehicles, 32 fire-fighters and four aircraft were battling the blaze.

   Caption: House in flames in Dioni settlement on Mt Penteli, 12 kms north of Athens on Monday 24 August 2009. ANA-MPA/EPA/ORESTIS PANAGIOTOU