Hellas on fire again....

[Secur1]

If any of you have seen it on the news, CNN and Sky news, there are massive fire fronts through out the country
So far we count around 50 ppl dead and new fires spring every hour due to the high winds. There are currently active 125 forest fires which started in the last 24h.
It's a bloody dissaster, even in Athens, the entire city (of over 5 million ppl) is covered in a thick layer of smoke and i had to close the windows cause of the debri comming in to the house. Even the sun is blocked out from this huge cloud of smoke.
I have never seen anything like this in my life and the worst thing is that most of these fires were started by ppl wanting to use the burnt down areas for developement....
There is nothing anyone can do, the fire departments are running everywhere, so is the army but this something that noone can deal with. I just hope the winds die down soon before this thing gets any worse, if that is even possible.

 

[fieldops]

Unfortunately, this occurs in the western US frequently (like right now). Most of the fire responders are brave professionals who risk life and limb for home owners and the general public. Perhaps the confusion in your area is because of the magnitude of the disaster and inexperience dealing with it. Not sure. All I can say is to hang in there my friend. Prayers and best wishes to you and your family in overcoming the current situation.

 

[Tempora]

rime Minister Kostas Karamanlis declared a nationwide state of emergency Saturday night. He also turned to European Union allies, which have promised help. Emergency crews pulled charred bodies from homes and local media reported death tolls of up to 50 people.
Scores are hospitalized with severe burns and respiratory problems, state-run television reported.
Although the fires were concentrated in the southern Peloponnese region, heavy smoke billowing Saturday afternoon above Mount Hymettus, southeast of Athens, signaled a new fire. It was burning close to Athens International Airport, forcing officials to close a highway.
In a nationally televised address, Karamanlis suggested the blazes might have been set by political extremists, disrupting political campaigning.
"So many fires sparked simultaneously in so many places is no coincidence," Karamanlis said, and vowed to punish those responsible.
Many firefighters told CNN they are suspicious of the fire's source, given several witness reports that the blazes cropped up simultaneously along a 20-kilometer (12-mile) front of lush greenery in southern Greece.
The prime minister described the situation as a "battle that has to be won," and ordered all resources mobilized to fight the fires.
He also announced that a fund has been set up for fire victims and their families, and an assessment of the disaster will be made.
The most devastated area stretches for 80 kilometers (50 miles) from the western towns of the Zaharo, within the highlands of the western Peloponnese, to the southern tip of the peninsula, Mani.
In the past 24 hours, hundreds of firefighters, soldiers, and planes loaded with water have been battling the infernos on a dozen fronts, authorities said. Yet, despite their efforts, officials said the flames had not been tamed.
"Our emergency services are overstretched and it is humanly impossible to battle this force of nature," a top fire official told CNN.
An EU statement said 30 member countries had offered assistance. France on Saturday was slated to send two planes to help quell the fires, and Norway and Germany pledged to send aircraft as well.
A sweltering heat wave in Greece has parched forests and scrubland. With intense winds fanning the flames, authorities call this the country's worst fire season on record.
Since June, more than 3,000 fires have razed thousands of hectares of forests and scrubland across the country -- nearly triple last year's total -- according to officials.
I-Report: Greek fires
Do you have photos or video footage of the forest fires sweeping Greece? Are you a holidaymaker affected by the blazes? Please get in touch.


A mother, her child and at least seven other people died fleeing burning woods in the mountainous villages in western Peloponnese, near the town of Zaharo, according to a fire department official.




Farther south, six people -- including two French tourists found by rescue crews in an embrace -- were killed in a forest fire that swept near their hotel in the town of Areopolis, located 190 kilometers (120 miles) southwest of Athens.
Greece's elections are set for September 16. The ruling party has called for a temporary suspension of political campaigning as a sign of respect to those who died in the flames, and flags on government buildings were flying Saturday at half staff.

 

[fieldops]

I sure hope it was not arson. That would be mass murder. I hope the EU steps up more to help. It sounds like you guys need a lot more resources than you are receiving. My prayers for a successful outcome. Stay safe!

 

[Secur1]

It's the 4rth day and most of the big fires are still burning. The death toll is up to 63 now.
This is one of the very few times in my life that i actually feel ashamed to be a Hellin.

In a couple of weeks we are to hold our general elections.
These elections is going to be a pure count of two kinds of ppl in my country
1) Utter idiots
2) Ppl with highly vested interests in each one of the 2 major parties.

Why you may ask. Because over the past 40 years Greece has been governed in succession by these 2 political parties and both of them led us to this disaster, either by taking wrong decisions or by not making any decision to protect our national heritage to begin with.
So anyone that votes for them, must belong to one of the above mentioned categories.
I for one am proud to say that i have NEVER voted for them and it's safe to say that i NEVER will !
I just hope that the rest of my country men that do not fit in any of the above descriptions, wake up and smell the burning coal.....

 

[fieldops]

It's the 4rth day and most of the big fires are still burning. The death toll is up to 63 now.

How are you doing personally? I hope you have not suffered any personal or financial loss. How is the health situation regarding smoke? Take care, stay safe. We are all pulling for our Greek friends.

 

[Secur1]

Thanks for your interest and all the kind words fieldops, i am alright, it's still raining ashes in Athens and they tried to start fires close ot the city center yet again but failed due to public awareness, but that's nothing compared to what most of Southern Greece is facing...
Personally i am just revolted by the media here that keep facilitating representatives of the 2 big parties that are simply trying to point fingers at each other and even the one's that actually man up and say Yes we ****ed up, are still trying to pass on the msg that the other party is more to blame than them. It's just disgusting...
If there is a hell i hope they all burn in there, every single one of them.

Now they are trying to use scare tactics by saying that terrorists are behind the fires, HOW BLOODY LAME IS THAT ?! If we didn't get hit during the Olympic games in 2004, why would any kind of terrorist hit us now and in such manner ?
If this continues we will take to the streets in force, as we did before and overthrow these useless ~£"%"@£%^~"^@~! as we did before !