Authorities evacuated nearly 2,500 people from the Greek island of Corfu on Monday as crews fought several wildfires in heat-battered Greece. Tens of thousands have fled blazes on the island of Rhodes, with many frightened tourists scrambling to get home in one of the country’s worst fire outbreaks.
The raging fires are hazardous for residents of remote villages and towns where roads have been destroyed and power lines cut by the flames. Hundreds of firefighters and helicopters have been deployed to the scene, as are army units and police units, to guard against any potential violence from frightened locals trying to escape.
More than 19,000 tourists and locals have been rescued from hotels on Rhodes in what has been described as the largest evacuation operation in Greece’s history. The fires have also swept through the western island of Corfu, with photos showing its northern part engulfed by flames.
Greek authorities ordered the evacuation of several smaller settlements in the area, with police directing tourists to leave on foot or using their vehicles. Hundreds of people have been taken to the island’s conference centers and school buildings. Others are sheltered in Lindos, famed for its acropolis on a massive rock within medieval walls. The British Foreign Office says a rapid deployment team and four Red Cross workers are on the ground in Rhodes to help visitors returning home by travel companies.
The fires have damaged hundreds of homes, with some completely destroyed. The blazes are particularly dangerous because of their speed and the intense heat in the region. Temperatures will remain high on Monday and Tuesday but are expected to fall slightly on Wednesday.
The blazes have prompted the cancellation of several inbound tourist flights to the Greek islands, including some by easyJet and British Airways. The Foreign Office has advised holidaymakers to check with their airlines before traveling to Greece this week.
It is unclear if arsonists cause the fires, but they have come amid a lengthy spell of hot weather exacerbating wildfire risk in Greece. According to the latest government figures, more than 13,000 hectares of land have been burnt by wildfires across the country during the heatwave. That is the equivalent of around a fifth of the country’s forests. This is the highest total for the country since records began in the late 19th century. The government has set a goal of cutting the number of forest fires in Greece to zero by 2025. The fires have killed dozens of people and forced tens of thousands to flee their homes. Thousands more have been forced to abandon their holiday plans. Some have been stranded for weeks in hotel rooms, while others have had to sleep on gym floors or wade through water to escape burning hotels.
