The government has vowed to get aid to fire victims quickly

Blazes continue to rage in the gutted Peloponnese region and Evia island, but emergency crews say they are "generally receding" and have been contained.

The government has called for national unity, but faces growing anger at its handling of the crisis, with crowds due to gather in Athens later to protest.

At least 63 people have died in the blazes since Friday.

Fire service official spokesman Nikolaos Diamantis said the danger was not yet over, and firefighting equipment would remain in place throughout the country.

I've been coming here for the last 15 years on holiday with my children. It was a paradise here and now it is hell Fire survivor Economic toll of Greece fires Greeks face fire dilemma Counting the fires' eco-cost

But he was upbeat in his assessment of the current blazes, saying: "We are optimistic about the outcome of our fight against the fires.

"They are now limited and there is no danger of them spreading."

It is feared that the hot, dry winds that have help to spread the flames from region to region could return and rekindle the fires.

Many of the communities devastated over the weekend are just starting to count the cost.

In the tiny village of Frixa on the Peloponnesian peninsula, acrid smoke continued to swirl around the charred olive groves and farmland.

Satellite images show how the spread of the fires is changing Enlarge Image

"Everything we had has gone. We had oil, we lived off the olives. Its all gone," 77-year-old Athanassia Kazakopoulou told Reuters news agency.

Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis has pledged to act fast in restoring power to devastated villages and rebuilding houses.

His government has also started to give out instant compensation to those affected.

A general election, planned for 16 September, has helped to politicise the crisis, with the opposition Socialist Party being heavily critical of the government.

I spent Saturday night on the roof of my house watching a fire steadily progressing down the mountain towards us Patience BBC News website reader in Kalamata Send us your comments

The Socialists described the handling of the crisis as a "national humiliation".

The authorities believe some of the fires were started deliberately, and more than 30 people have been arrested so far.

A 1m euro (�680,000) reward has been offered to help catch those responsible.