Greek Fire

Rich posted earlier about the fires raging all across Greece. Mention was made that the Greek Prime Minister, Costas Karamanlis, had stated that all of these simultaneous fires really could not be accidental. Well, Greek authorities have made a series of arrests and have charged seven people with starting fires – and the investigation is widening.

ATHENS (AFP) – Greece charged seven people with starting the raging forest fires that have claimed more than 60 lives, as firefighters backed by an international force battled the flames for a fifth day on Tuesday.

As darkness fell on Monday, flames lit up the night sky as they tore through bone-dry forests and bushes in the Peloponnese, the mountainous peninsula to the south of Athens.

Planes and helicopters made repeated swoops over the blazing trees to drop thousands of litres (gallons) of water but winds gusting up to 70 kilometres per hour (43 miles per hour) kept the flames alight.

Rescuers evacuated 27 villages in the Peloponnese as the fires threatened to engulf them, and parts of Evia island to the northeast of the capital were also ablaze.

At least 63 people have died, including 59 in the Peloponnese alone, although no new deaths were discovered on Monday.

With new fires still breaking out, Greek authorities increasingly believed they were started deliberately.

Seven people were charged with arson and a further 26 people have been charged with lesser offences linked to a series of fires that have blighted Greece since early July.

Anti-terrorist authorities said they were joining the investigation.

A reward of up to one million euros (1.36 million dollars) has been offered for help in catching arsonists.

In the tiny Peloponnese village of Chrisafa, residents who fought back fires that had threatened to gut their homes on Friday were in no doubt that criminal gangs were responsible.

"They set fire to homes so efficiently and they did it while the wind was blowing up a storm," Costas Kolovas, a farmer, told AFP.

The government released figures showing that 6,404 fires had occurred so far this year compared with 4,631 in the whole of 2006.

That is a lot of fires for a really rather small country. I do not blame them for believing that there might be an intentional hand behind this. I also hope they get the right people and don't rush to "get" someone for the crimes.