Scores of Greek firefighters and water-bombing aircraft succeeded late Wednesday in taming a large wildfire on the fringes of Athens that forced authorities to evacuate two nearby settlements, writes ABC NEWS.

Summer wildfires also plagued Greece’s Mediterranean neighbor Turkey, where two villages were evacuated but no injuries were reported.

The Greek fire service said the blaze near Athens - one of dozens all over the country Wednesday - had been largely contained but firefighters would remain on alert all evening to stop it reviving.

Officials said the wildfire was exacerbated by windy, hot and dry weather and appeared to have been deliberately started.

It broke out in low scrub and olive trees in a sparsely inhabited area near Vari, some 30 km south of central Athens.