Tourists flee Greek island Rhodes wildfire, thousands evacuated

ATHENS (Reuters) – A forest fire that raged on the Greek island of Rhodes for six days forced thousands of tourists and island residents to take refuge in closed schools and playgrounds on Sunday after being evacuated from coastal villages and resorts.

Coast Guard ships Dozens of private boats ferried more than 2,000 tourists from the beaches on Saturday after wildfires were ignited by strong winds and reignited along the southeastern part of the island, famous for its beaches and ancient ruins.
Many of their hotels saved when the massive flames reached the coastal villages KyotariAnd GennadyAnd Pefki, and Lindos, and Lardos, and Kalathos. Large groups gathered in the streets under a smoky red sky, waiting to be taken to safety.

“We have between 4,000 and 5,000 people now staying in different buildings,” Rhodes Deputy Mayor Thanassis Ferinis told Mega TV channel, calling for donations of necessities such as mattresses and bed linen.
A government official told Reuters that 19,000 people had been removed from their homes and hotels. The Civil Protection Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Volunteers struggled to put out a fire that blackened hills and charred buildings near Lindos, one of the most visited sites on the island and famous for its acropolis perched on a huge boulder within medieval walls.
Civil Protection warned of an extremely high risk of wildfires on Sunday in nearly half of Greece, with temperatures expected to reach 45 degrees Celsius (113 Fahrenheit). Heatwaves can continue across southern Europe and many parts of the world until August.
Fires are common in Greece, but hotter, drier and windier summers have caused more of them to occur in recent years. An advisor to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said on Saturday that climate change means more frequent heat waves.
In Rhodes, evacuees, including villagers, were housed in hotels, indoor playgrounds, conference centers and school buildings, fire brigade spokesman Ioannis Artobios told Sky radio.
“They have received food, water and medical assistance,” he said, adding that the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs will assist foreigners who want to leave the country at Rhodes Airport.
Firefighters, backed by water-dropping aircraft, battled it out on three fronts Sunday, setting up barriers to prevent the flames from spreading into dense forest or threatening more residential areas.
The fire has burned large areas of forest and many buildings since it broke out in a mountainous area on Tuesday.