Wildfires rage across Rhodes, Greece. Source: Lotus R, Wikimedia Commons
Thousands of people have had to evacuate the Greek island of Rhodes by both land and sea as a wildfire continues to rage.
Coastguard vessels and private boats have evacuated more than 2,000 people, including tourists, from beaches on the south-east part of the island, near Kiotari and Lardos, coastguard spokesman Nikos Alexiou told Skai television.
Fire brigade spokesperson Vassilis Vathrakogiannis said that authorities also urged some 1,000 people to evacuate the villages of Pefki, Lindos, and Kalathos as the fire approached these areas.
Firefighters, along with air and water bombers and reinforcements from Slovakia, have struggled to keep the fire at bay, which has been exacerbated by strong winds.
Konstantinos Taraslias, a deputy mayor of Rhodes, told Open TV, “We had set up firebreaks around the village of Laerma last night, but a 180-degree change of the winds this morning helped the fire grow much bigger across many kilometres … reaching a tourist area.”
Mr Taraslias said that those who have been evacuated are staying at hotels and in an indoor stadium.
The fire has ripped through dense forest after spreading through a mountainous part of the island on Tuesday, and has damaged at least three hotels in the village of Kiotari on Saturday, according to the Athens News Agency.
On Sunday, authorities warned of a very high risk of fires on Rhodes and other parts of Greece, as temperatures are expected to reach 45 degrees Celsius amidst a heatwave.
Senior government officials will be travelling to Rhodes to provide assistance, and the Greek foreign ministry’s crisis management unit will offer assistance to foreigners who want to leave Greece.
While fires are common in Greece; hotter, drier, and windier summers have become common in recent years, making the country especially susceptible to wildfires.
Meteorologists have warned that the current high temperatures are expected to continue until the end of the month.
