The wildfires that have killed 64 people and caused billions of euros worth of damage in Greece were said to be under control Thursday but the danger level remained high, the fire service said, according to DPA. Most fires have been extinguished, with the only serious blaze restricted to the village of Karytaina in the mountainous hinterland of the western Peloponnese peninsula. Blazes on the island of Euboea were also under control. Since the first fires broke out in Greece six days ago, at least 184,000 hectares of land have been destroyed. With winds now reducing, the fire brigade was hopeful of extinguishing hundreds of minor fires on Thursday with the help of helicopters. "We hope to have the situation under control today," a firefighter told Greek radio. However, "the danger is not yet passed," fire service spokesman Nikos Diamantis warned. On Thursday emergency aid continued to be given to those affected by the fires. More than 10,000 people have received 3,000 euros each in aid and container-based accommodation has been set up for those who lost their homes. Efforts were also being made to restore electricity supply. Many towns and villages in the western Peloponnese were without power. Meanwhile tens of thousands of people took to the streets in Athens and other cities Wednesday evening to protest the government's handling of the disaster. In Athens, rioting broke out after 15,000 people took to the streets to protest the authorities' handling of the crisis and a lack of environmental awareness both on the behalf of politicians and the public. Some 300 protestors attacked police with stones and bars, state television reported. The police used batons and teargas to keep the group at bay. There were also protests in Thessaloniki and many other large cities. Meanwhile an opinion poll showed Thursday that the fire disaster has had an impact on Greek voters, who go to the polls for parliamentary elections on September 16. The governing conservative party of Greek Premier Kostas Karamanlis continues to lead, but the number of undecided voters has surged to 27 per cent from 19 per cent before the fire catastrophe.
