Greece further reinforces firefighting forces in massive wildfire in northeast burning for 13th day

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greek authorities have further reinforced firefighting forces in the country’s northeast, where a massive blaze in its thirteenth day has flared up once more, triggering authorities to issue alerts to residents in the area to be on standby for possible evacuation. More than 100 extra firefighters have been deployed, bringing the total to 582, backed by a fleet of 10 planes and seven helicopters from nine European countries, the fire department says. The fire that started Aug. 19 has decimated homes and vast tracts of forest in the Alexandroupolis and Evros region, near Greece’s border with Turkey. It has been blamed for 20 of last week’s 21 wildfire-related deaths in Greece.