Syrian refugees come in aid of Attica fire victims

A year after they were rescued by aid workers off Greece's Aegean islands as they fled war in Syria, Saddam, Yusef, Osama and Idris found themselves in a reverse situation: Helping Greeks who suffered losses in last month's deadly wildfires in Attica's Mati and Kineta get back on their feet.

"It's extremely hard for human beings to normalize such images and procedures. We have learned this the hard way unfortunately," said Saddam, recalling the "sickening" events that led to the death of nearly 100 people and the destruction of hundreds of homes and businesses.

On July 23, two major wildfires broke out in Attica; the first in Kineta in the west, soon followed by another east of Mount Pendeli, which swept down to Mati, the seaside resort that suffered the greatest devastation.

Just over a month later, the fallout of the disaster is still painfully evident. In...