Volunteers try to extinguish the fire outside a military base at the village of Varnava , north of Athens, on Monday, Aug. 14, 2017. A large wildfire north of Athens is threatening homes as it sweeps through pine forest for a second day, uncontained due to high winds. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

A brush fire in central Greece has helped authorities discover a hoard of illegally excavated antiquities.

The Greek culture ministry said Friday that firefighters trying to extinguish the blaze found about 200 artifacts, some as much as 2,800 years old, in plastic bags hidden under bushes.

The discovery was made Thursday in the countryside between the villages of Livanates and Megaplatanos, some 150 kilometers (93 miles) northwest of Athens. A ministry statement said most of the pottery and metal objects were unharmed by the fire, while some bore traces of smoke.

Authorities are trying to establish who excavated and hid the artifacts, some of which had been cleaned and undergone basic repairs on the spot.

Under Greek law, all ancient artifacts found in the country are state property.

https://apnews.com/99f715070e644e159e5bfa640552e096