Wildfire stopped at ancient Olympia's perimeter
A fast-moving wildfire that momentarily surrounded the hallowed archaeological site at Olympia, in the northwest Peloponnese, was finally turned backed at the site's perimeter on Sunday afternoon, but not before a historic pine-covered hilltop above the renowned stadion, the ancient track, was burned. Concentrated efforts by ground forces and fire-fighting aircraft -- including French and Russian crews -- to prevent the wildfire from reaching the actual antiquities, museum and the other facilities paid off, with the site reportedly left unscathed. The outlying areas, however, did not fare as well, with smoke seen rising from the remains of nearby forests and groves. Caption: A batch of trees burn out of control next to the museum at the archaeological site of ancient Olympia, in the western Peloponnese, on Sunday, Aug. 26, 2007. ANA-MPA /ORESTIS PANAGIOTOU
