Category: News and Views
Hi.
Since Friday a lot of fires started in Greece and Greek goverment is having difficulty coping with them so help from other countries has been send there.
Below is the latest of what is going on there taken from the BBC news website www.bbcnews.com
Greek fires threaten ancient city
The southern Peloponnese has been particularly hard hit
There are fears for the ancient ruins of Olympia, a world heritage site and home to the first Olympics, as Greece's devastating forest fires close in.
Water-bombing planes are trying to suppress the flames near the site, and nearby villages have been evacuated.
More than 50 people have died since fires burst out on Friday. They are still burning and nearing villages in the south, on islands and near Athens.
The Greek PM has implied that many fires were started deliberately.
In a nationally televised address, Costas Karamanlis said: "So many fires breaking out simultaneously in so many parts of the country cannot be a coincidence.
OLYMPIA
An ancient Greek religious site dating back 10 centuries before Christ
Home of the ancient Olympics, first held in 8th Century BC
Was location of giant ivory and gold Statue of Zeus, one of seven wonders of the world
Olympics continued until banned by Roman Emperor Theodosius I in 394 AD
Place where Olympic flame is still lit
Inside a fire starter's mind
"The state will do everything it can to find those responsible and punish them."
A 65-year-old man has been charged with arson and murder relating to a fire which killed six people in Areopolis, in the far south of Greece.
Two youths were also detained on suspicion of arson in the northern city of Kavala.
Mr Karamanlis has declared a nationwide state of emergency and said the country had to "mobilise all means and forces to face this disaster".
Caught unawares
"Fires are burning in more than half the country," fire department spokesman Nikos Diamandis said.
"This is definitely an unprecedented disaster for Greece."
The fire services said dozens of new fires had sprung up on Saturday, and a Nasa satellite picture showed numerous plumes of smoke, many in the west of the Peloponnesian peninsula.
"We're going to burn alive here," one woman told Greek television from the village of Lambeti, near the site of ancient Olympia.
She was echoing the fears of many Greeks, who heard horrifying news reports throughout Saturday of people being trapped by walls of flame.
The rapidly advancing fires caught many people unawares. Those who left the decision to flee too late were caught in their houses, cars, or as they stumbled through olive groves.
Late on Saturday church bells rang out in the village of Kolyri near Olympia, warning residents to get out as soon as possible.
One local villager, speaking to Greek television by telephone, told of the battle to save homes:
"We have no water, we are at God's mercy," they said. "Please tell someone we are putting out the fire with our own hands, we have no help. The village will disappear from the map."
Groups of firefighters and soldiers are patrolling the ancient site of Olympia itself, which did upgrade its fire protection system for the 2004 Athens Olympics.
Sun obscured
At least 39 people were reported to have been killed in the worst affected region, around the town of Zaharo in the western Peloponnese, by a fire that broke out on Friday and quickly spread. Another four bodies were discovered in the central Peloponnese region of Arcadia.
Towns on the island of Evia were being evacuated on Sunday, with ferries carrying people to the mainland near Athens.
"The fire is racing towards the town," a resident of the island town of Aliveri told Greek TV.
This is complete hell. The front is 30km long and has now reached the first houses
Petros Filippou
Mayor of Kalyvia, Athens
In pictures: Forest fires
Witnesses tell of fire horror
"We are leaving or else we will burn to death. There is no one to help us," he said.
Meanwhile Athens itself was shrouded in smoke that obscured the sun as several fires threatened the city's outskirts.
Houses and industrial buildings in the suburbs of Keratea and Kalyvia were destroyed.
"This is complete hell," said Kalyvia mayor Petros Filippou.
"The front is 30km (19 miles) long and has now reached the first houses. That's it."
'I feel anger'
Among many tragic stories to emerge, one that shocked many Greeks was that of a mother who burned to death with her four children. They died clutching each other.
"I feel deep grief for our dead," Prime Minister Karamanlis said in his address.
"I feel deep pain for the mother who perished in the flames with her arms round her children. I feel anger - the same that you feel."
The heat wave that has left much of Greece's countryside so vulnerable to fire was set to continue on Sunday. Winds were expected to be lower than in previous days, but still sufficient to fan the flames.
Hundreds of firefighters are attempting to dampen the flames, with assistance from hundreds of soldiers.
EU countries responded to Greece's appeal for help, with France, Spain and Italy sending firefighting aircraft. Others sent helicopters, fire engines or firefighters.
Would that I could,
To send the blessings of moisture laden rain your way
Only situation, 'tis only a user name
Though share deeply in the feeling of this great loss
..like such a hopelessness,
While yet hope remains
That not all will be lost
~*Thunderous MidNight*~
Thanks thunderous midnight for your kind post.
Although i am not from Greece i would say that my country Cyprus is a very close country to Greece. I could say that they are like brother countries if there is such expression in English. We speak the same language, food is simmilar, most of our music comes from Greece and much more. And we have very simmilar weather conditions in Cyprus with very high tempretures so we could have simmilar fires at any time. So we might not be in danger for now but you never know. So i hope they mannage to control the fires as soon as possible.
The problem is, that after it's all over, the Greek government could try to rebuild things, only for them to be destroyed in more fires next year. Perhaps they need to put fireproof materials around trees in forests in summer in Greece, and ban people from going to the forest when it's so hot. That may help, but of course, it won't be enough.
I have a very dear friend in greece and he was telling me first hand what it was like. he and everyon else is devistated. i'm so sorry to hear about this.
Fires still going on. Hopefully after the first sunlight in a few hours things will get better as the helicopters and aeroplanes will be able to throw water from the air again and hopefully more people will be there to help because the weekend ended now.
One very interesting thing is that the fires happened one month before the elections in Greece. Maybe some people set the fires to give a bad immage for the goverment i don't know. Anyway i hope that things will get better soon. So far the number of people who died is 58 if i remember right.
I hope that tomorrow i will have better news to say.
This is very sad to now know
That persons lives have been lost
Beyond that of the life of the trees and historical ruins
So very sad
please, keep us posted, nikos
Here is the latest happenings as they are described on the BBC news website www.bbcnews.com.
Foreigners help fight Greek fires
Military helicopters have been used to fight the fires
Firefighting aircraft from several countries are helping Greece tackle devastating forest fires that have killed at least 60 people.
Large swathes of Greece - from the island of Evia north of Athens to the Peloponnese in the south - have been ravaged by the inferno since Friday.
Greek police have arrested 32 arson suspects, as investigations continue into the origins of the blazes.
A 1m euro (£678,000) reward has been offered to help catch fire-starters.
Dozens of new fires continue to break out, fanned by hot, dry winds.
'War footing'
The BBC's Malcolm Brabant, in Athens, says the police and intelligence services will be keen to discover if there is any link between the suspected arsonist, and whether they are part of an organised scorched earth campaign.
Greece has the feel of a country on a war footing, our correspondent says.
See map of affected areas
Soldiers are patrolling suburban neighbourhoods trying to catch arsonists in the act and anti-terrorist squads have been questioning some suspects.
Meanwhile, a top Greek prosecutor has ordered an inquiry into whether arson attacks can be considered terrorism, and prosecuted under Greece's anti-terror laws.
Treating arson as a potential act of terrorism would give authorities broader powers of investigation and arrest.
The fires have gutted hundreds of homes, forcing thousands of villagers to flee and blackening hillsides.
Water-bombing aircraft from France, Italy and Canada are in action, with more international aid expected.
Ancient site safe
Ancient Olympia, birthplace of the Olympics, was in danger on Sunday, but firefighters managed to keep it safe.
The hill of Kronos, overlooking Olympia, was engulfed by fire
In pictures: Greek inferno
Culture Minister George Voulgarakis went to Olympia, in the Peloponnese, to oversee the emergency effort.
"All the people, the firefighters, the policemen, the volunteers, they fought with the fire and the museum is as it was."
The BBC's Dominic Hughes on the island of Evia says several massive fires are burning in the thickly wooded hills. On Sunday five bodies were found on the island.
"Over the weekend the sky was grey-brown over Athens and Kifissia, the air full of smoke and the sun - a dim spot," said Gabriella Gosevits, an Athens resident, in an e-mail to the BBC News website.
"There was ash all over the place and the smell of burnt wood was everywhere."
Thousands of Greek firefighters are being supported by 20 water-bombing planes and 19 helicopters. At least 11 countries are helping Greece fight the fires with planes, helicopters and specialist firefighters.
Fires 'deliberate'
Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis has declared a nationwide state of emergency.
The reward, put up by the Greek government, is for anyone providing information which leads to the arrest of an arsonist.
One theory is that the fires could have been started as a way of getting around Greek law which forbids development on areas designated as forest land.
The head of the conservation charity WWF Greece, Demetris Karavellas, told the BBC's World Today programme that Greece lacked a forest registry, "so in many cases it's not entirely clear what is forest and what is land for construction".
"There is strong pressure for tourism, for more and more development... I hope the public, at least, with the amazing damage that we are going through right now, will really create a lot more political pressure," he said.
At ancient Olympia, flames licked the edges of the original Olympic stadium and scorched the yard of the museum, home to one of Greece's greatest archaeological collections.
Athens itself was shrouded in smoke that obscured the sun as several fires threatened the city's outskirts.
The rapidly advancing fires caught many people unaware. Those who left the decision to flee too late were caught in their houses, cars, or as they stumbled through olive groves.
At least 39 people were reported to have been killed in the worst affected region, around the town of Zaharo in the western Peloponnese, by a fire that broke out on Friday and quickly spread.
Nothing really new to say here. Still places where the fires are going on. I am wondering when i will be able to listen that they mannaged to control all of them and stop them. This is going on since Friday and it has to end i think.
Hi again.
I know i don't write much here but there is not anything new to say. Still didn't mannage all of the fires. I didn't listen to the radio yet today to see what happened but i will quote what my friend said when i asked him on msn. They control one of the fires and they appear many others. So i guess they have a difficult task to do.
The last I heard 63 people have died in these fires. It's a real shame.
Hi.
After a week of fires today i can say that things are getting better. The biggest fires are in control but there are still some fires going but i think now people or villages are not in danger at the moment of writing. This weekend is going to be a hot one which doesn't help.
I hope that things will get even better soon.
I don't know the exact number of people who died i hope that not any more people died since #Becky heard and wrote to us about 63 people.
Nothing really that I can add only to say that am following your reports Nikos of these blazes.
~*Thunderous MidNight*~