Greek wildfires

The 2007 Greek forest fires were a series of massive forest fires that broke out in several areas across Greece throughout the summer of 2007. It is perceived to have been started by either an electrical pylon or by arsonists. While some fires are believed to have been caused by environmental factors, others clearly were not. The fires could have been deliberately started as a way to get around Greek law. Hot temperatures and severe drought rendered the 2007 summer unprecedented. Extremely hot and dry weather conditions in Greece, combined with strong winds led to a disastrous upsurge of forest fires and wildfires. At one point in July, 197 separate wildfires were burning throughout Greece. Wildfires on the mainland killed 70 people and incinerated 6% of Greece's tree cover. More than 670,000 acres (270,000 hectares) of farmland, homes, and protected forests were charred over the summer. The destruction that was caused by the fires is expected to have a large financial impact to the areas affected by the fires. Originally the estimated amount was about 1.5 billion euro in immediate damages. The amount has now risen to 2 billion euros ($2.9 billion). The fire destroyed 1,000 houses and 1,100 other buildings, and damaging hundreds more.

Sky Jell-O
If a wildfire is too large, planes and helicopters can fly overhead, dropping special chemicals that smother the flames. This pink, fire-retardant chemical is called Sky Jell-O. Sky Jell-O is made up of 85 per cent water, 10 per cent fertilizers, specifically ammonia phosphate and sulphate ions, and 5 per cent other materials. Like other flame retardants, it works by stopping chemical reactions in the fire. Smokey Bear

Make sure children and pets are supervised when near the fire. Never leave your campfire unattended. If it's too hot to touch, it's too hot to leave! Never burn aerosol cans or pressurized containers. They may explode. Never put glass in the fire pit. Glass does not melt away, it only heats up and shatters. Broke slivers of glass are dangerous. Aluminium cans do not burn. In fact, the aluminium only breaks down into smaller pieces. Inhaling

aluminium dust can be harmful to your lungs. The ground around the burn site should be surrounded by gravel or mineral soil (dirt) for at least ten feet in all directions. Keep the surrounding area watered down during the burn. Stay with your fire until it is completely out. To ensure the fire has been completely extinguished, drown the fire with water, turn over the ashes with a shovel and drown it again. Repeat several times. Check the burn area regularly over the next several days and up to several weeks following the burn, especially if the weather is warm, dry, and windy. While spark arrestors are not 100% effective, they GREATLY reduce the risk of starting a wildfire.