EARTH Greece -- 26 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

EARTH Greece -- 26 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. Deadly wildfires in southern Greece wafted thick clouds of smoke over the Mediterranean Sea in late August 2007. According to news reports from the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), at least 60 people had been killed by the fires as of August 27. Hundreds of homes had been burned, and thousands of people had to evacuate, many by helicopter. The government suspects that the fires were caused by arson, and it has declared a national emergency to deal with the situation. Firefighters from more than 20 countries had arrived to help control the fires. Other analysts say the fires are most likely a combination of the high heat and some cases of arson combined. Lightning is usually the main trigger for such fires and makes loud explosions when it strikes close by (thunder). This image of Greece shows places where the MODIS instrument detected actively burning fires are outlined in red. A line of fires stretches along the western coast of Greece’s Peloponnese Peninsula. To the northeast, a large fire is casting a plume of smoke over Athens. With its brownish tinge, the smoke pooled over the Gulf of Sirte could easily be mistaken for dust from the deserts of Libya. Dust storms often travel the other direction across the Mediterranean: from Africa to Greece -- Picture by Lightroom Photos / NASA