Rhodes plunged into state of emergency as wildfires ravage Greek island
Wildfires across Rhodes have forced authorities in Greece to declare a state of emergency for the entire island.
Emergency services and volunteers continued to battle flames sweeping through the island for the ninth day in a row, prompting ‘the biggest evacuation in Greek history’.
Footage shows fires swallowing up trees, burning cars, homes and leaving animals dead in the streets.
The six municipalities of Rhodes, Kallithea, Ialyssos, Petalouda, Archangelos and Afantos were warned last night that they face ‘extreme danger’ of fresh wildfires.
With the latest decision from the minister of civil protection, Vasilis Papageorgiou, it means emergency measures apply for the entire island.
Summer wildfires are common in the country but record temperatures in recent weeks have worsened conditions.
The Greek Fire Brigade has already been battling more than 500 fires for at least two weeks.
More than 20,000 foreign visitors fled hotels and homes over the weekend as the temperatures neared 44°C.
As tourists flee for their lives, thousands of locals are left behind to mourn years of livelihood.
Standing outside the blackened shell of what used to be his restaurant, Dimitris Hajifotis said: ‘My life now stopped. Everything is taken by the fire.’
Inside his destroyed business in the coastal village of Gennadi, stacks of plates are covered in ash and debris near a burned-down kitchen.
The government on Wednesday sought to contain damage to the reputation the island, which is one of its key revenue earners.
Greece is heavily reliant on tourism and Rhodes, one of its biggest islands, is among its top summer destinations, attracting about 1.5 million foreign tourists in the summer months.
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