Thousands more evacuated as Rhodes wildfire continues to rage

·

The wildfire racing across the Greek island of Rhodes for a week now continued to rage uncontained on Monday evening, Ekathimerini has reported.

The wildfire has so far burned an estimated 34,200 hectares.

Things took a turn for the worse on Monday as the fire tore past defences and more evacuations were ordered, in the central and southern parts of the island.

A firefighter tries to extinguish a wildfire in Asklipio village on Rhodes island. Photo: Aristidis Vafeiadakis/Zuma/Shutterstock.

The latest evacuations were ordered in south Rhodes after 19,000 people, mostly tourists, were moved in buses and boats over the weekend out of the path of the fire. It was the country’s biggest evacuation effort in recent years.

“We are at war – completely focused on the fires,” Greece’s Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said during a debate in Parliament. “Over the coming days and weeks, we must remain on constant alert.”

Wildfires are also raging on the islands of Corfu and Evia and on the mainland, notably in the Peloponnese, southern Greece. 

Overnight, an estimated 2,466 citizens had fled dwellings in 17 villages along Corfu’s northern coast, while hundreds had been forced to evacuate communities on Evia.

These fires come as Greece experienced the hottest temperatures in 50 years at the weekend, with the mercury reaching 45 degree Celsius in the central region of Thessaly.

A wildfire burns at the Trapeza village, in Achaia in the Peloponnese. Photo: Giota Lotsari/EPA.

Temperatures are set to climb again on Tuesday after a day of relative respite.

The Fire Service has announced that most of the island of Crete, with the exception of the regional unit of Hania, as well as Rhodes and the nearby islands, are facing an extreme risk (Category 5, the highest) of new fire outbreaks.

Source: Ekathimerini.

READ MORE: Australian helicopters join fight against wildfires in Greece.

Advertisement

Share:

KEEP UP TO DATE WITH TGH

By subscribing you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Advertisement

Latest News

Fans and members rally behind Labi Haliti as Sydney Olympic climbs the ladder

Sydney Olympic FC’s commanding 3-0 win over NWS Spirit FC has not only kept the team’s momentum alive in the 2025 season.

How families celebrated a rare unified Easter

For the first time in eight years, all branches of Christianity—Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox—celebrated Easter on the same weekend.

George Mastrocostas pushes ahead with project amid Gold Coast housing surge

As the Gold Coast races to meet a looming population milestone of one million residents by 2045, George Mastrocostas is pushing ahead.

Tina Stefanou explores Melbourne’s urban fringe in immersive ACCA exhibition

Artist Tina Stefanou’s latest exhibition, You Can’t See Speed, now showing at the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art (ACCA).

Sydney man Zacharias Giatras granted bail after Rockdale crash leaves man critical

Zacharias Giatras, a 19-year-old plumbing apprentice, has been granted bail after being charged over a serious crash in Sydney’s south.

You May Also Like

Judo champion Thodoris Tselidis wins Greece’s first medal at Paris Olympics

Judoka Thodoris Tselidis won Greece's first medal at the Paris Olympics on Wednesday. Tselidis won bronze in the men’s -90kg weight class.

Decline in Anthropocentric Arts and Classical Studies impacts learning of Greek

Professor Anastasios Tamis discusses how the Greek Diaspora has become a strong power in cultivating global philhellenism.

Begona Untold Stories: ‘I was not one of the brides. I enjoyed the journey’

Despina Sahinidis travelled alongside 900 brides on the old Spanish ship Begona.