Greek children flee summer camp to escape fire

ATHENS, July 19 (Reuters) Dozens of children were forced to flee their summer camp near the Greek city of Corinth today when a huge brush fire threatened to engulf the compound, the fire department said.

About 40 children hosted by the ''Enchanted Forest'' camp, about 100 km south of Athens, abandoned the site to escape flames that had been burning unchecked for the past two days. No injuries were reported.

''Strong winds have made the fire department's job a lot harder,'' said a spokesman. ''The fires are in full force and we've asked that people living in two nearby villages to leave the area.'' About 100 firefighters have been joined by 44 fire engines, 7 planes and two helicopters, authorities said.

Greece has been ravaged by fires over the past month in its hottest summer in more than a century. Three firefighters were killed in a blaze on the island of Crete.

More than 1,450 fires have broken out throughout the country in July this year, more than twice as many as the same time last year, the fire department said.

Natural outbreaks have been exacerbated by intentionally lit fires blamed on property developers burning forest to clear sites in order to build houses.

REUTERS ARB HT1747