Tourists in Greece Forced to Evacuate Wildfires Wearing Only Swimsuits

Firefighters battled throughout the night to contain 82 wildfires in Greece. Out of these wildfires, 64 of them started on Sunday, which happened to be the hottest day of the summer season so far, as per the AP reports. Unfortunately, they had to fight these fires without the assistance of firefighting planes and helicopters, as they are not operational during the night. The most severe fire outbreak occurred on the island of Rhodes. Greek authorities have evacuated around 19,000 people from various locations on the island due to the wildfires that have been ongoing for six days. It is worth mentioning that this evacuation is being described as the largest in the country’s history, according to the Ministry of Climate Change and Civil Protection.

The local police reported that around 16,000 people were evacuated by land, while 3,000 others were evacuated by sea from 12 villages and multiple hotels. Six individuals received brief treatment at a hospital for respiratory issues. Amongst those hospitalized, there was a person who suffered a broken leg during a hotel evacuation and a pregnant woman who is currently in good condition. At Rhodes International Airport, a group of tourists was waiting to return to their home countries. One of the British tourists, Kevin Evans, shared his experience of being evacuated twice on Saturday with his wife and three young children. First, they were moved from Kiotari to Gennadi, and then they had to relocate again as the fire approached the northeast region, where the island’s capital is located. Evans mentioned that there was panic among the people, as they were instructed to leave everything behind in the hotels. The fire was visible on the hills in Kiotari as night fell, and there were reports of hotels being on fire. Stelios Kotiadis, a Rhodes travel agent, confirmed the hasty evacuation and stated that the authorities were overwhelmed. However, he reassured that the abandoned hotels are in better condition than what is being circulated on social media and will be ready to reopen soon with the approval of Civil Protection. The high temperatures are expected to continue after a slight break on Monday, with temperatures reaching 38°C (100°F). However, there is some relief in sight as it is forecasted to get significantly cooler on Thursday, with temperatures in the low to mid-30s Celsius, as reported by the country’s Meteorological Service on Sunday evening. (Read more Greece stories.)