As over half of the country of Greece is burning firemen from all over Europe are helping fight the fires. [[Image:PostImages/991284070inthisimagereleasedbynasaonsaturdayaug25.jpg|left]]Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis declared a nation-wide state of emergency and implied that arson was the cause of some of the blazes. He says so many fires breaking out at one time could not be accidental. “Fires are burning in more than half the country,” said fire department spokesman Nikos Diamandis. “This is definitely an unprecedented disaster for Greece.”

After the loss of life the worse part is that many of the most famous antiquities in world history are being threatened and could be destroyed.[[Image:PostImages/450_ap_statue_070826.jpg|right]] The fires are on the doorstep to the birthplace of the Olympics and the Temple of Apollo is under threat. If the fires aren’t stopped soon the prides of ancient Greek history will be forever lost.

In the Tampa Bay Area we have a very large Greek population in the Tarpon Springs area, and I am sure many here are worried about friends and loved ones. We will remain vigilant and pray that these fires are extinguished soon.