Fires In Greece

A house burns in Dioni, 25 miles east of Athens, Greece, Monday, Aug. 24, 2009. An overnight drop in gale-force winds offered hard-pressed Greek firefighters a brief respite Monday after wildfires raged unchecked for two days north of Athens, burning houses and swathes of forest while forcing thousands to flee their homes.

A man salvages his belongings as firefighters hose his yard in Dioni, east of Athens, Greece, Monday, Aug. 24, 2009. More than 90 wildfires have ignited since Saturday across Greece, and six major fires were burning late Sunday.

The map locates the largest wildfires in Greece. Number one is in Zakynthos; two is in Skyros; three in Villa; four in Mount Pentell; five in Marathon and six in Nea Makri.

This photo taken through an aircraft window over Greece shows the smoke of wildfires rising through the clouds, center left, 45 miles west of Athens on Sunday, Aug. 23, 2009. More than 90 wildfires have ignited since Saturday across Greece, and six major fires were burning late Sunday.

A volunteer firefighter uses a hose to spray water on a burning tree, as a convent is seen in the background, at Nea Makri, north of Athens, on Monday, Aug. 24, 2009. The convent was evacuated Monday. Wind-driven fires raged for a fourth day outside the capital, prompting several European countries to send planes and other assistance.

In this image made early Sunday, Aug. 23, 2009, fires burn on the suburban hills behind the ancient Parthenon at Acropolis in Athens, Greece. A massive wildfire tore through outlying suburbs north of Athens early Sunday, destroying homes and forcing thousands to flee in dramatic overnight evacuations.

A firefighter sprays water at a burning forest near Nea Makri, north of Athens, on Monday, Aug. 24, 2009. Wind-driven fires raged for a fourth day outside the capital, prompting several European countries to send planes and other assistance.

A man wipes his eye in front of his home as fire rages nearby in Dioni, 25 miles east of Athens, Greece, Monday, Aug. 24, 2009.

A fire burns on the mount of Kitheronas, about 45 miles west of Athens, on Sunday, Aug. 23, 2009. More than 90 wildfires have ignited since Saturday across Greece, and six major fires were burning late Sunday.

A plane drops water as firefighters try to extinguish a burning forest in Dioni, east of Athens, Greece, Monday, Aug. 24, 2009.

Volunteers from the Red Cross work at the scene of a forest fire in Pikermi, north of Athens, Monday, Aug. 24, 2009. A convent was evacuated Monday. Wind-driven fires raged for a fourth day outside the capital, prompting several European countries to send planes and other assistance.

A firefighter sprays water at a burning forest near Nea Makri, north of Athens, on Monday, Aug. 24, 2009. Wind-driven fires raged for a fourth day outside the capital, prompting several European countries to send planes and other assistance.

A resident stands on the roof terrace of her home to keep watch on a nearby fire at Nea Makri, a suburb north of Athens, on Monday, Aug. 24, 2009. Firefighters battled around-the-clock Monday to try and contain massive blazes north of Athens, as more water-dropping planes and assistance from other European nations arrived to relieve Greece's exhausted fire crews.