Greece, the cradle of Western civilization, and more so of the Olympic games, is facing a devastating fire, threatening to engulf some of the significant areas. Termed as a ‘Biblical Catastrophe’ by those who have closely observed its horrors, the fire continues to rage across the region jeopardizing the historical city of Athens. Large parts of Greece, including the Peloponnese, areas around Athens and Evia island have been ravaged by the flames. The epicenter of the firestorm is believed to be near the town of Zaharo in western Peloponnese. Scenes of charred human bodies as pathetic as the burnt bodies of a mother holding her child in her arms have driven the entire world in a state of shock and grief.

The fire that broke out on Friday has progressed at an astonishing speed and caught many people unaware. As per the latest information, death toll has risen to over 60 and numbers may swell as fresh fires continue to break in other regions of the country. A reward of 1million euro (£678,000) has been offered to help catch the arsonists suspected of being behind the fires. It is believed that the fires could have been started as a way of getting around the Greek law, which forbids development on areas designated as forest land. Several people have already been arrested in connection to what the officials term as “an unprecedented disaster” as flames have spread to almost half of the country. Ancient Olympia, birthplace of the Olympics, was also threatened but the firefighting team has been successful in protecting the site. Yet some minor damage is suspected as the flames had scorched the yard of the museum, home to one of Greece's greatest archaeological collections, and touched the edges of the original Olympic stadium. According to reports, six planes, two helicopters, 15 fire engines and 45 firemen had fought the flames to protect the site. Five fire engines are now protecting the archaeological museum, which has the sculptures from the Temple of Zeus and artifacts from the ancient Olympics, and anti-fire systems have been switched on. Prime Minister, Costas Karamanlis has declared a nationwide state of emergency in Greece. Emergency team and fire-fighting planes from other European Union countries have joined the efforts to control the flames and more help is expected soon. Culture Minister, George Voulgarakis has arrived in Olympia to oversee the emergency efforts.

See the Map of fire affected areas…