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ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Firefighters and army conscripts are for a fourth day battling a fire north of Athens that has burned an estimated 1,200 acres (nearly 500 hectares) of pine forest in a mountainous area, with erratic winds hampering containment efforts.
The Fire Service said six planes and four helicopters were involved in the effort Tuesday, helping around 250 firefighters, soldiers and volunteers, 40 kilometers (25 miles) northwest of Athens.
Villages in the area are under no immediate threat, and water tanker trucks and earthmovers are being used to keep inhabited areas safe, the Fire Service said.
On Sunday, a CL-215 firefighting plane was forced to make an emergency landing on a hillside in the area. Two crewmembers were hospitalized with minor injuries after the plane caught fire.
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