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Greece is on fire....


mailonfurs

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I'd like to share my grief with all of you my friends.

My country, Greece is facing an extremely difficult period right now. Almost half the country is on fire. 53 people so far DIED, burned to death.

Villages, houses, all burned down. The economic disaster is huge. They cannot seem to be able to control it and it will burn everything on its way. The fire is close to ancient Olympia (where Oympic games started and took place thousands of years ago).

 

So disapointing, so sad to see these kind of things to be happening in year 2007

 

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Oh, Kostas. I am so sorry. My heart goes out to you.

 

Please keep us posted. I actually heard the news while I was traveling back to Michigan. I immediately thought of you.

 

As you know, of my world travels, Greece was one of my favorite. Atleast your beautiful islands are safe.

 

Please know my thoughts and prayers are with you.

 

Love,

 

Linda

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Kostas,

 

One of the articles said there was a gas canister that exploded and was connected to a cell phone. Do they believe part of this could a terrorist act?

 

Linda

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They are probably acts of criminals, I wouldn't say it is a terrorist attack but stupid, mindless criminals.

 

I must be in the safer place on Greece right now, so do not worry about me. I am in Kastoria, northwest greece while almost all the fires are at the central greece and south. Thank you for your interest.

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I hope you STAY safe! They Bears will be praying for you!

 

Fire is a force of nature, just like the sun, the wind and the water. All we can do is cross our fingers and hope for the best.

 

One of the main reasons fire has gotten so far out of control in places like California, New Mexico and Montana is that the government had a policy of extinguishing wildfires on public lands. The forests would fill up with dead wood and the fields would fill up with dry grass and leaf litter. There was such an abundance of fuel for the fires that there would be no way to put them out.

 

Remember: Fire is nature's ultimate cleaner!

Letting wildfires burn naturally, keeps the dead wood and dry grass from building up. When fires DO occur, if they are allowed to run their natural course, they'll burn out quickly and, if they approach populated areas, they will be easier to control.

 

It's only been about 20 or 30 years that the government has changed their policy: If the fire occurs naturally (by lightning, for example) or if the fire is not threatening a populated area, let it burn. But there are over 100 years worth of accumulated dead wood lying in our forests that it might take another 100 years for nature to bring itself back into balance.

 

In the mean time, the problem is that humans don't like fire!

Of course! It's dangerous! It's natural to be afraid of wildfires!

But we have to hold on to our instinct to fear fire and use our intellect to understand that fire is a NATURAL thing. As long as it doesn't threaten us, it's even a GOOD thing. If we let the fires run their course (within limits) we'll be better off in the long run and we won't have these large "firestorms" that come when fires are suppressed for too long. Further, there are several species of trees (giant sequoia and bristlecone pine, etc.) which NEED fire to sprout.

 

Arson is a separate issue. That's just plain stupidity! If PEOPLE are lighting fires in populated areas, I hope they find out what it feels like to watch THEIR houses go up in flames!

 

There are lots of people in the USA who have experience fighting wildfires like those in Greece. I'd like to see my government send some of those men and equipment over to you and help protect the populated areas until the rest of the fires can burn out naturally.

 

In the mean time, me and the Bears have our fingers (and paws) crossed for you!

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Please stay safe...

 

Fire is indeed a natural tool, but when we see it burning our homes and history, and killing our animals and even our fellow citizens it is not at all easy to take.

 

The one tiny bit of good news is that no matter how bad the firestorm, it will die before long. Just days ago I visited a city where a firestorm hit killing over 500 people. It was totally unstoppable, but indeed about the time that they declared it that way, the winds changed. It burned back on itself, and ran out of fuel and quickly died.

 

The bad news is that your country will not be the same for a very long time. We are so glad that you are ok. But please remember that we are also thinking of you and your fellow countrymen right now.

 

White Fox

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We have some of the finest and bravest Aerial Fire Bombers anywhere.

 

I hope they aer there helping. I know they go many places where needed.

 

Forest fires are a horrific thing and especially in a close and small place like Greece.

 

I do hope the antiquities will be saved.

 

 

 

 

OFF

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  • 1 month later...

Indeed I hope that the situation is improving in the US as well. I hope that none of our members have lost homes, etc.

 

And Kostas, I hope that your country is gradually recovering from the terrible fires there also.

 

W

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