Thousands Flee Homes as Wildfires Rage on Greek Island of Rhodes

On the Greek island of Rhodes, thousands of people have been evacuated from their homes and hotels after the island was heavily damaged by wildfires.

The flames, according to the nation's fire department, are the hardest ones it is presently dealing with.

More than 3,500 individuals may have been transported to safer areas on land and by boat, according to estimates.

across the midst of a heatwave across Europe, the island has been battling flames since Tuesday that were fueled by high winds.

According to Greece's Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, no casualties have been recorded.

It stated that guests are being securely transferred to other hotels on the island after being evacuated from the damaged sections of Rhodes, which comprise fewer than 10% of the island's tourist accommodations.

Three hotels in the Kiotari region were reportedly destroyed by fire, and 173 firemen and five helicopters were on the scene. Affected locations included Laerma, Lardos, and Asklipio.

Along with the Greek coast guard, private vessels assisted in the island's east coast beach pickups. Additionally, it was rumored that Greek naval ships were making their way to the tourist-friendly region.

Ioannis Artophios, the deputy fire chief, stated that a ferry is ready to transport passengers. The island's deputy mayor said that some people are staying at an indoor stadium there.

Firefighters on Rhodes frequently face difficulties, according to Artophios, who also said that the island's lush landscape contributes to its popularity as a travel destination.

Greek television showed huge lines of vacationers being transported to safety while smoke billowed in the backdrop.

One British woman claimed that after being evacuated from the hotel where she was staying with her sister and children, she was left stranded in the intense heat on a beach with hundreds of other people.

Andrea Layfield from Cheshire said she had been on a boat trip "but it was getting really scary".

"We were asking to go back so they got us and then said they couldn't go any further so we would have to wait on the beach for a while," she said.

"As we waited the fire was coming down the beach but the beach was a dead end," she said, adding that hundreds of people were running.

A boat then arrived, taking only women and children, she said. "I scrambled under somebody's legs and got on."

A speedboat was used to rescue Mark Cook.

"In dire circumstances, we have just physically fled from a five-star luxury resort via boat. Instead of listening to instructions, we have to trust our gut, he said. "Poor visibility, smoke inhalation, and no real directions."

The next, "ash is falling and smoke is rapidly progressing because the winds suddenly got significantly stronger," he claimed, "because one moment I'm on a sun lounger with my family."

The family's stuff is still in the hotel, but he is currently taking a flight home.

A limited number of the hotels owned by the travel agency TUI were reportedly affected, and as a precaution, passengers were being moved to alternative lodging.

Jet2 also said it was aware of the situation in Rhodes and was asking customers to follow local guidance.

But Lee Ruane from Northern Ireland, who is in Rhodes on his honeymoon with wife Rosaleen, told they felt stranded by Jet2 and had been given "no further information".

"We were evacuated from the hotel today about two o'clock, and we've had no communication whatsoever from Jet2, from our hotel, nothing," he said.

Rhodes deputy mayor Konstantinos Taraslias said a change of winds on Saturday morning helped the fire grow bigger and reach tourist areas.

Since breaking out in a mountainous area on Tuesday, the fire has scorched swathes of forest.

Firefighters from Slovakia arrived on Rhodes on Saturday to help local teams battling the fires.

"The situation in Rhodes is serious and extremely difficult. Due to the strong wind and quickly changing direction of the fire, firefighters had to withdraw and move," Slovak Fire and Rescue Services posted on Facebook.

Greece is facing further intense heat this weekend, with meteorologists warning that temperatures could climb to as high as 45C (113F).

It could turn into Greece's hottest July weekend in 50 years, one of the country's top meteorologists has said.

Firefighters are continuing to battle dozens of wildfires across the country. An area west of Athens is among the worst-hit areas, along with Laconia in the southern Peloponnese and the island of Rhodes.

And authorities are warning of a very high risk of new blazes as the heat continues to rise.

People have been advised to stay home, and tourist sites - including Athens' ancient Acropolis - will be shut during the hottest parts of the next two days.

Greece - like a number of other European countries - saw a prolonged spell of extreme heat earlier this month.

The latest heatwave comes at one of the busiest times for the country's tourism industry.

Source: BBC