Wildfire Forces Evacuation on Greek Island of Rhodes
ATHENS, July 22 – A raging wildfire on the Greek island of Rhodes has led to the evacuation of hundreds of people from affected villages and beaches, authorities said on Saturday.
Coastguard vessels and more than 30 private boats were deployed to evacuate at least 2,000 people, including tourists, from beaches close to the areas of Kiotari and Lardos in the southeastern part of the island, according to coastguard spokesman Nikos Alexiou.
The wildfire, now burning for its fifth day, continued to pose challenges for firefighters, who were supported by air water bombers and reinforcements from Slovakia. The flames were intensified by strong winds.
Greek television footage showed long queues of tourists with their luggage walking along a road as part of the evacuation operation, with smoke visible in the background.
“The fire grew much bigger across many kilometers… reaching a tourist area,” said Konstantinos Taraslias, a deputy mayor of Rhodes, explaining the challenges faced by authorities. Firebreaks set up around the village of Laerma were reportedly overcome due to a change in wind direction.
Evacuated individuals are being accommodated at an indoor stadium and hotels on the island, according to Taraslias. Additionally, three passenger ferries have been made available to host tourists during the night, as stated by the coastguard.
The wildfire has already destroyed significant portions of forest land since it broke out in a mountainous area on Tuesday. Over the weekend, three hotels in the seaside village of Kiotari were reportedly damaged, according to the Athens News Agency.
Civil protection authorities have issued a warning for a very high risk of wildfires, not only on Rhodes but also in several other areas of Greece, as temperatures are expected to reach 45 Celsius (113 Fahrenheit) due to an ongoing heatwave.
Senior government officials are planning to travel to Rhodes to provide assistance in managing the situation.
Greece has experienced an increase in wildfires in recent years, attributed to hotter, drier, and windier summers. Meteorologists have predicted that the scorching temperatures will persist until the end of the month.
Reporting by Angeliki Koutantou; Editing by Frances Kerry and Mike Harrison