Greece fights fires across the country; Arson suspected in many

WATCH VIDEO

Source: CCTV.com | 08-27-2007 09:27

Burnt houses stud the village of Makinos, in the Zacharo area of Peloponnese. (Xinhua/AFP Photo)

The Greek government is meeting with military leaders to discuss ways of coping with the fires that are sweeping across the country. The raging forest fire on Sunday reached the outskirts of ancient Olympia, the birthplace of the Olympic Games. But emergency workers said it was stopped before it entered the historic site.

Massive fires consuming large areas of southern Greece raced toward the site of the ancient Olympics on Sunday. At least 56 people were confirmed dead, with the southern Pelopennese region being the worst affected.

Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis is holding meetings at the country's Defense Ministry to discuss the next steps in tackling the raging fires. The Culture Minister was heading to the ancient site of Olympia to coordinate efforts to save the antiquities.

A temporary drop in the ferocity of high winds early in the morning provided a brief respite in Ancient Olympia, but they intensified later in the day.

The worst of Greece's fires were concentrated in the mountains of the Peloponnese in southern Greece and on the island of Evia north of Athens.

A separate blaze had abated on Sunday in Kalyvia, an area between Athens and the ancient site of Sounion to the south, while 42 fires in various parts of the country had been brought under control.

Hundreds of people trapped by flames in villages, hotels and resorts have been evacuated.

Arson has been blamed in several cases, and seven people have been detained.

Nearly 1,000 soldiers, backed by military helicopters, reinforced firefighters who were already stretched to the limit. At least 12 countries were sending reinforcements, and six water-dropping planes from France and Italy joined operations on Sunday.

The government has declared a nationwide state of emergency.