Greek Island of Rhodes Evacuates 19,000 People as Wildfire Rages Out of Control

Rhodes, Greece – A massive evacuation effort was launched over the weekend on the Greek island of Rhodes, with 19,000 people, mostly tourists, moved out of the path of a raging wildfire. The fire has been burning for six days on three fronts, and is being fueled by strong winds and successive heat waves.

Help has been arriving from the European Union and beyond, with Turkish firefighting planes joining the effort in Rhodes. Eight water-dropping planes and 10 helicopters are buzzing over flames up to five meters (16 feet) tall despite low visibility.

The Ministry of Climate Change and Civil Protection said this is “the largest evacuation from a wildfire in the country”. Local police said 16,000 people were evacuated by land and 3,000 by sea from 12 villages and several hotels. Jet2 has canceled five regularly scheduled passenger flights to the island on Sunday.

A person who fell and broke a leg during a hotel evacuation and a pregnant woman remain hospitalized, the latter in good condition. The fire is still burning and authorities are warning people to stay away from the affected areas.

The Greek government has declared a state of emergency in the affected areas and is appealing for international assistance. The EU has already sent firefighting planes and helicopters, and is sending more. The Greek Prime Minister has expressed his gratitude for the help and support from the international community.