Major Greek Fires

Leogeddon · 08-26-2007, 11:24 PM

Ancient Olympia, Greece - Firefighters backed by aircraft prevented the birthplace of the ancient Olympics from being consumed by flames as Greece's worst wildfires in memory blazed across the country and the death toll climbed to 60.

New fires broke out faster than the others could be brought under control, with 63 new blazes on Sunday. Walls of flames have swallowed villages, forests, and farmland over three days, leaving behind a charred landscape dotted with gutted homes and the carcasses of burned animals.

"Fires are burning in more than half the country," said fire department spokesman Nikos Diamandis. "This is definitely unprecedented disaster for Greece." Desperate residents appealed through television stations for help from a firefighting service already stretched to the limit and many blamed authorities for leaving them defenseless. The government declared a state of emergency on Saturday.

Throughout the night, more villages were evacuated. The fire department said 42 major fires were still blazing out of control. Authorities have suggested arson caused many of the blazes, and several people have been arrested. The government offered a reward up to euro 1 million (US $1.4 Million) for anyone providing information that would lead to the arrest of an arsonist.

Forest Fires are common during Greece's hot, dry summers -- but nothing has approached the scale of the last three days. Arson is often suspected, mostly to clear land for development. No construction is allowed in Greece in areas designated as forest land, and fires could be set to circumvent the law by disputing the status of the area.

Flames which at times leaped 300 feet into the air reached Olympia in souther Greece on Sunday, burning trees and shrubs just a few meters (yards) from the walls of the museum at the 2,800-year-old site. Ruined temples of Zeus, king of the ancient Greek gods, and his wife, Hera, stand on what was a lush riverside site -- a flat stretch of land surrounded by pine-clad hills -- near the stadium that hosted the ancient Olympic games for more than 1,000 years after they started in 776 B.C. The site strewn with fallen columns includes the remains of a gymnasium, a wrestling hall, hostels, bathhouses, priests' residences and alters. The 5th Century B.C. limestone temple of Zeus is one of the largest in mainland Greece.

Helicopters and aircraft covered the ruins with water and foam. The flames reached the edge of the ancient stadium, searing the grass and incinerating the trees on the hill above. Volunteers grabbed buckets of water and joined firefighters. "Firefighters fought a battle in Ancient Olympia, which was won," said fire department spokeman Nikos Diamandis.

Pristine cypress and pine forests around the site was obliterated, but the ruins were saved. "The important thing is that the museum is as it was and the archaeological site will not have any problem," Culture Minister George Voulgarakis told the Associated Press after flying to the site by helicopter. But the nearby grounds of the International Olympic Academy were completely burned, as was the grove where the heart of Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympic Games, is buried. Firefighters remained in the area after dark to ensure the fire didn't re-ignite.

The destruction has riled Greeks -- already stunned by deadly forest fires in June and July -- and looks set to dominate political debate ahead of national elections scheduled for Sept. 16.

Dinny · 09-10-2007, 08:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tony

Forest Fires are common during Greece's hot, dry summers -- but nothing has approached the scale of the last three days. Arson is often suspected, mostly to clear land for development. No construction is allowed in Greece in areas designated as forest land, and fires could be set to circumvent the law by disputing the status of the area.

Just wanted to make a comment about this as a Greek who was in Greece during these events. As is stated here, forest fires are common in the summer, but not on this scale suggesting that this year was different to the usual fires started to clear land for hotels and other building projects. Everyone in Greece knows that there was something different this year, but all the police can do is capture a few kids and elderly people who may or may not have accidentally started a fire. It's a ****ing circus sometimes...

*Sewer Bull* · 09-11-2007, 05:29 AM

Dom't even try to revive this thread, Dinny. Here, Greek fires are no match for any thread concerning real life turtles appearing in someone's backyard.

Dinny · 09-12-2007, 03:28 PM

You're right. And here I thought that this was the biggest disaster of the summer... turms out some WWE wrestlers are on drugs...

**GK Punk** · 09-12-2007, 03:33 PM

Show me one ****ing place where anyone said that.

You have no idea if we've been following this story off the forum or not. Oh wait, I forgot. Wrestling fans are stupid.

**Barkworm** · 09-12-2007, 03:46 PM

I too agree that it's a bit sad to see that this topic went unnoticed but those jabs were completely unnecessary. Especially the reference to the Benoit thread, what did that have to do with anything?

Dinny · 09-12-2007, 04:05 PM

@ Michi: Whoa, whoa, whoa. Take a step back here, you're clearly very passionate about wrestling, but first of all I'm not calling anyone stupid. In fact I used to be a wrestling fan myself (and I don't just mean when I was 13 either) and I only mentioned the WWE doping scandal because it was the thread with the most posts that was not about someone finding turtles in their back garden or someone's death. The point is not that anyone said that Greece's disaster is not important, it's that no one except for Tony talked about it at all. You're right, there is no way for me to be able to tell whether or not you have been following the story except for what I see in front of me, and that's that there were no replies to this thread. I'm sure you can understand that this is a topic that I feel incredibly passionate about as it affects me directly.

Also, Barkworm I was not referring to the Benoit thread, but to the WWE doping scandal thread. I can understand completely why Benoit's thread has so many replies. That is a huge story, particularly in America and to many people he was a hero. I was simply frustrated that an incredibly serious topic like this one was ignored when other less serious topics (again, not Benoit's or Pavarotti's or Madaleine McCann's or anyone's death) get the spotlight. It is particularly infuriating for me as these fires were rarely accidents. People are burning down my country.

**Barkworm** · 09-12-2007, 04:28 PM

Yeah, makes sense. I'd be angry, too.

**GK Punk** · 09-12-2007, 04:39 PM

It's nothing personal Dinny. It's hard to explain why I flew off the handle right now, but I do apologize for doing that. I had reasons, they just had nothing to do with you. It was just pent up frustration and anxiety etc.

The reason I haven't said really anything in this thread is because I have been discussing it at another forum already. As well as with my people IRL. But I do understand why you'd be so passionate about it. It's a major disaster and does diserve more coverage and notice. I've told people about it and the news mentions so little of it over here, they think I'm kidding until I show them news reports. Then it blows them away.

Dinny · 09-12-2007, 04:51 PM

It's no problem, and thanks for taking the story to heart and bringing it to the attention of more and more people.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Michi heavenly6

I've told people about it and the news mentions so little of it over here, they think I'm kidding until I show them news reports. Then it blows them away.

This actually explains quite a lot. I thought that America was like Europe with the story (particularly during August) coming up in the news every day. It's far more understandable if people simply didn't know the extent of the flames than if they understood completely but chose to talk about something else. So it appears that I too overreacted. No one can be blamed if the story simply wasn't brought to their attention.

Type 97 Chi-ha · 09-13-2007, 12:31 PM

It's how things work out; story X gets a lot of publicity, while similar story Y does not. For example, the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 became a legend, while another fire on the same day in Peshtigo, Wisconsin which killed more people than the Chicago fire did fell into obscurity.

08-26-2007, 11:24 PM	#1
Leogeddon Stone Warrior Join Date: May 2007 Location: Atlanta Posts: 502	Major Greek Fires Ancient Olympia, Greece - Firefighters backed by aircraft prevented the birthplace of the ancient Olympics from being consumed by flames as Greece's worst wildfires in memory blazed across the country and the death toll climbed to 60. New fires broke out faster than the others could be brought under control, with 63 new blazes on Sunday. Walls of flames have swallowed villages, forests, and farmland over three days, leaving behind a charred landscape dotted with gutted homes and the carcasses of burned animals. "Fires are burning in more than half the country," said fire department spokesman Nikos Diamandis. "This is definitely unprecedented disaster for Greece." Desperate residents appealed through television stations for help from a firefighting service already stretched to the limit and many blamed authorities for leaving them defenseless. The government declared a state of emergency on Saturday. Throughout the night, more villages were evacuated. The fire department said 42 major fires were still blazing out of control. Authorities have suggested arson caused many of the blazes, and several people have been arrested. The government offered a reward up to euro 1 million (US $1.4 Million) for anyone providing information that would lead to the arrest of an arsonist. Forest Fires are common during Greece's hot, dry summers -- but nothing has approached the scale of the last three days. Arson is often suspected, mostly to clear land for development. No construction is allowed in Greece in areas designated as forest land, and fires could be set to circumvent the law by disputing the status of the area. Flames which at times leaped 300 feet into the air reached Olympia in souther Greece on Sunday, burning trees and shrubs just a few meters (yards) from the walls of the museum at the 2,800-year-old site. Ruined temples of Zeus, king of the ancient Greek gods, and his wife, Hera, stand on what was a lush riverside site -- a flat stretch of land surrounded by pine-clad hills -- near the stadium that hosted the ancient Olympic games for more than 1,000 years after they started in 776 B.C. The site strewn with fallen columns includes the remains of a gymnasium, a wrestling hall, hostels, bathhouses, priests' residences and alters. The 5th Century B.C. limestone temple of Zeus is one of the largest in mainland Greece. Helicopters and aircraft covered the ruins with water and foam. The flames reached the edge of the ancient stadium, searing the grass and incinerating the trees on the hill above. Volunteers grabbed buckets of water and joined firefighters. "Firefighters fought a battle in Ancient Olympia, which was won," said fire department spokeman Nikos Diamandis. Pristine cypress and pine forests around the site was obliterated, but the ruins were saved. "The important thing is that the museum is as it was and the archaeological site will not have any problem," Culture Minister George Voulgarakis told the Associated Press after flying to the site by helicopter. But the nearby grounds of the International Olympic Academy were completely burned, as was the grove where the heart of Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympic Games, is buried. Firefighters remained in the area after dark to ensure the fire didn't re-ignite. The destruction has riled Greeks -- already stunned by deadly forest fires in June and July -- and looks set to dominate political debate ahead of national elections scheduled for Sept. 16. __________________ Click me for group discussion!

09-11-2007, 05:29 AM	#3
Sewer Bull Devil's Advocate Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 4,768	Dom't even try to revive this thread, Dinny. Here, Greek fires are no match for any thread concerning real life turtles appearing in someone's backyard. __________________ Soooo... THIS* is how you spend your free time now?!*

09-12-2007, 03:46 PM	#6
Barkworm Draconian leftist ruler Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Germany Posts: 6,761	I too agree that it's a bit sad to see that this topic went unnoticed but those jabs were completely unnecessary. Especially the reference to the Benoit thread, what did that have to do with anything? __________________ Make ****, not kill!

09-12-2007, 04:28 PM	#8
Barkworm Draconian leftist ruler Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Germany Posts: 6,761	Yeah, makes sense. I'd be angry, too. __________________ Make ****, not kill!

09-12-2007, 03:28 PM	#4
Dinny Stone Warrior Join Date: Nov 2002 Posts: 774	You're right. And here I thought that this was the biggest disaster of the summer... turms out some WWE wrestlers are on drugs...

09-12-2007, 03:33 PM	#5
GK Punk I'm your Devil Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 12,439	Show me one ****ing place where anyone said that. You have no idea if we've been following this story off the forum or not. Oh wait, I forgot. Wrestling fans are stupid.

09-12-2007, 04:05 PM	#7
Dinny Stone Warrior Join Date: Nov 2002 Posts: 774	@ Michi: Whoa, whoa, whoa. Take a step back here, you're clearly very passionate about wrestling, but first of all I'm not calling anyone stupid. In fact I used to be a wrestling fan myself (and I don't just mean when I was 13 either) and I only mentioned the WWE doping scandal because it was the thread with the most posts that was not about someone finding turtles in their back garden or someone's death. The point is not that anyone said that Greece's disaster is not important, it's that no one except for Tony talked about it at all. You're right, there is no way for me to be able to tell whether or not you have been following the story except for what I see in front of me, and that's that there were no replies to this thread. I'm sure you can understand that this is a topic that I feel incredibly passionate about as it affects me directly. Also, Barkworm I was not referring to the Benoit thread, but to the WWE doping scandal thread. I can understand completely why Benoit's thread has so many replies. That is a huge story, particularly in America and to many people he was a hero. I was simply frustrated that an incredibly serious topic like this one was ignored when other less serious topics (again, not Benoit's or Pavarotti's or Madaleine McCann's or anyone's death) get the spotlight. It is particularly infuriating for me as these fires were rarely accidents. People are burning down my country.

09-12-2007, 04:39 PM	#9
GK Punk I'm your Devil Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 12,439	It's nothing personal Dinny. It's hard to explain why I flew off the handle right now, but I do apologize for doing that. I had reasons, they just had nothing to do with you. It was just pent up frustration and anxiety etc. The reason I haven't said really anything in this thread is because I have been discussing it at another forum already. As well as with my people IRL. But I do understand why you'd be so passionate about it. It's a major disaster and does diserve more coverage and notice. I've told people about it and the news mentions so little of it over here, they think I'm kidding until I show them news reports. Then it blows them away.

09-13-2007, 12:31 PM	#11
Type 97 Chi-ha Mad Scientist Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Brookfield, IL Posts: 1,333	It's how things work out; story X gets a lot of publicity, while similar story Y does not. For example, the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 became a legend, while another fire on the same day in Peshtigo, Wisconsin which killed more people than the Chicago fire did fell into obscurity.