EARTH Greece -- 27 Jul 2007 -- This satellie image shows extensive forest fires on the Balkan Peninsula, mostly in Greece

EARTH Greece -- 27 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 billow out hundreds of miles in the Adriatic Sea and blanket the region with haze. The fires caused a state of emergency in Macedonia and Greece. The fires have already destroyed some 56,800 acres (230 square kilometers) which had burned during the previous week, according to news reports. Around 60 people have been reported killed and thousands of buildings burnt out. 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