Ten planes. Seven helicopters. Four hundred and eighty-two firefighters. It’s not enough to fight the fire raging in northeastern Greece. So Greek authorities sent in 100 extra firefighters on Thursday.

The fire started August 19. It has burned through more than 200,000 acres so far. It has destroyed homes. Tragically, some people have died in the fire too. Firefighters have also sacrificed their lives during rescues.

What started the fire? Nobody knows for certain. But some folks look for someone to blame. Many people in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East are fleeing their homes because of poverty and war. To reach Europe, they often travel through Greece. Some Greeks blame these immigrants for starting fires. But they have no proof of this. So far, most of the suspects that have actually been arrested are Greek.

What’s really responsible for the fires? Most likely, that’s hot weather and strong wind.

When people face something hard, they have a choice. Will they blame each other and fight? Or will they work together for the good of everyone?

When the fires got bad, Greece called on other European countries for help. Hundreds of firefighters from Romania, France, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Albania, Slovakia, and Serbia arrived to battle the blazes. Twelve aircraft from Germany, Sweden, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, France, and Spain swooped in to the rescue too.

Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. — Ecclesiastes 4:9-10