Greece: Fires recede, anger at gov't rises

Massive wildfires in Greece were "generally receding" on Wednesday, fire authorities said. At the same time, anger is mounting over the government's handling of the catastrophic blazes that have laid waste to vast stretches of the countryside and killed at least 64 people. Greece: Fires recede, anger at gov't rises With parliamentary elections scheduled for September 16, the fires are dominating political debate. Criticism that the government failed to respond quickly enough -- and its suggestions that the fires resulted from an organized attack -- could hurt Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis. Foreign firefighters and aircraft joined in battling the fires, which started Thursday and burned nearly 500,000 acres in the first three days, leaving gutted houses and dead livestock. Firefighting efforts focused on the Seta area of Euboea island and on Matesi village in southwestern Greece's Peloponnese region. Another blaze broke out in Grammatiko, near ancient Marathon, but fire officials said it was under control by nightfall. Most of the firefighters sent by 21 countries were in the Peloponnese, fire department spokesman Nikos Diamandis said. He said 18 planes and 18 helicopters would drop water on blazes there. From the northern border with Albania to the southern island of Crete, fires have ravaged expanses of forest and farmland. The devastation has infuriated Greeks, who are complaining of an inadequate effort by the conservative government. The September 16 ballot will be "the elections of rage," the Athens newspaper To Vima said. "We are humiliated by the inability of the government to save the lives of our fellow citizens," Socialist leader George Papandreou said. He challenged Karamanlis to produce evidence to support the government's claims of organised arson. "When the prime minister adopts such theories, it is dangerous for the democratic institutions of a country," Papandreou said. The prime minister, whose conservatives were tipped to win the election in opinion polls conducted before the fires struck, called on Greeks to unite and promised that gutted homes would be rebuilt and forests re-planted. "We must do everything possible to prevent young people from becoming disillusioned and leaving their villages," Karamanlis said. The prime minister also visited an air base to thank international firefighters and air crews for their assistance. "The Turks, Italians and Germans combined didn't do as much damage as this," he said, referring to invading armies that had pillaged Greece. (FoNet)

Greece: Fires recede, anger at gov't rises

With parliamentary elections scheduled for September 16, the fires are dominating political debate. Criticism that the government failed to respond quickly enough -- and its suggestions that the fires resulted from an organized attack -- could hurt Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis.

Foreign firefighters and aircraft joined in battling the fires, which started Thursday and burned nearly 500,000 acres in the first three days, leaving gutted houses and dead livestock.

Firefighting efforts focused on the Seta area of Euboea island and on Matesi village in southwestern Greece's Peloponnese region. Another blaze broke out in Grammatiko, near ancient Marathon, but fire officials said it was under control by nightfall.

Most of the firefighters sent by 21 countries were in the Peloponnese, fire department spokesman Nikos Diamandis said. He said 18 planes and 18 helicopters would drop water on blazes there.

From the northern border with Albania to the southern island of Crete, fires have ravaged expanses of forest and farmland.

The devastation has infuriated Greeks, who are complaining of an inadequate effort by the conservative government.

The September 16 ballot will be "the elections of rage," the Athens newspaper To Vima said.

"We are humiliated by the inability of the government to save the lives of our fellow citizens," Socialist leader George Papandreou said.

He challenged Karamanlis to produce evidence to support the government's claims of organised arson.

"When the prime minister adopts such theories, it is dangerous for the democratic institutions of a country," Papandreou said.

The prime minister, whose conservatives were tipped to win the election in opinion polls conducted before the fires struck, called on Greeks to unite and promised that gutted homes would be rebuilt and forests re-planted.

"We must do everything possible to prevent young people from becoming disillusioned and leaving their villages," Karamanlis said.

The prime minister also visited an air base to thank international firefighters and air crews for their assistance.

"The Turks, Italians and Germans combined didn't do as much damage as this," he said, referring to invading armies that had pillaged Greece.