A group of 25 Israeli firefighters were on the first plane to Greece on Monday after a desperate appeal by the Greek government for assistance in fighting one of the worst outbreaks of wildfire ever to hit the country. The Israeli contingent is the largest of those sent by a total of eight nations.

At least 56 people have died in the fires that have ravaged various parts of the country since Friday.  Worst affected was the Zaharo area of the Peloponnese in southern Greece, the scene of most of the deaths.

Tragedy also struck on the island of Evia, north of Athens, where five people were killed and two others injured.

A massive effort by firefighters stopped the rampaging blaze just short of the historic site of Olympia, where the Olympic Games first began.  A local fire brigade spokesman said grimly, “The fire reached the hill overlooking ancient Olympia but was stopped just before entering the archaeological site.”

The spokesman said "six planes, two helicopters, 15 fire engines and 45 firemen participated" in the massive effort to contain the blaze on the hillside.  The mammoth scope of the destruction prompted Greek Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis to declare a “national disaster.” He ordered flags to be flown at half-mast on government buildings.

Germany, the Netherlands, Romania, Norway and Slovenia have also said they will send firefighting aircraft, although each has limited its contribution to one or two helicopters. Serbia is expected to send four firefighting planes, and Spain has said it will send two. Switzerland and Iceland also reportedly offered to assist in the effort.