Hundreds of Greek and Serbian firefighters battled a wildfire ravaging a forest near Mount Athos, a UN World Heritage Site and home to the world’s oldest surviving monastic community.

The region houses some 20 Eastern Orthodox monasteries which are self-governing and date back more than 1,000 years to Byzantine times. Mount Athos treasures its isolation and is only accessible by boat.

Two hundred Greek firefighters backed by about 50 sent from neighbouring Serbia as well as 120 volunteers fought the fire in the north-eastern Greek mountain region, the firefighting service said. The Greek army dispatched more than 300 soldiers and 50 vehicles to join the effort. Fourteen water-bombing planes and seven helicopters were also doing rotations.

The fire erupted earlier yesterday near the Serbian monastery of Hilandariou, or Chelandari, at Mount Athos, in a forest untouched for decades.

The fire was raging yesterday afternoon but did not threaten any of the monasteries. Strong winds, which frequently changed direction, were making firefighting efforts difficult, a spokesman said.

The arson, which could be the result of a criminal act or sheer negligence, has already destroyed 3,700 acres of forest and consumed olive trees and vines.

Greece is reeling under temperatures of 40˚C.

Greece experiences numerous fires every summer that are aided by strong winds and high temperatures. They are often attributed to arson, although perpetrators are rarely caught.

The worst recent major blazes, in the Peloponnese and on the island of Evia in 2007, left 77 people dead.