EARTH Greece -- 25 Jul 2007 -- This satellie image shows extensive forest fires on the Balkan Peninsula, mostly in Greece,

EARTH Greece -- 25 Jul 2007 -- This satellie image shows extensive forest fires on the Balkan Peninsula, mostly in Greece, where the government has declared a state of emergency. The fires, represented by red dots, pumped out thick plumes of smoke that blanketed the region with haze. A thin white-gray pall of smoke hangs over the Ionian Sea southwest of Greece, and additional smoke covers the Black Sea in the northeast (visible in the large image). The Aegean Sea to the east of Greece likely also had smoke-filled skies, but sunlight reflecting off the surface of the water masks the haze from view in this image. The fires caused a state of emergency in Macedonia, and Greece put its northern forests under constant watch fearing further fire outbreaks, according to news reports. The fires were fueled by extreme, desiccating heat starting in mid-July. Super-hot air pushed north from Africa and settled over much of southeastern Europe, where temperatures climbed above 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit). As many 500 died in the heat in Hungary (north of the area shown here), and the high demand for power caused black-outs in Greece, Kosovo, and Montenegro - where forest fires have also broken out -- Picture by Lightroom Photos / NASA