Greek authorities on Sunday revealed that an astounding 19,000 individuals have been evacuated from the island of Rhodes, where wildfires have relentlessly scorched the land for six consecutive days on three different fronts. This evacuation operation has been hailed as the largest wildfire evacuation in the country’s history, underscoring the severity of the ongoing crisis. The Ministry of Climate Change and Civil Protection has been at the forefront of managing this massive evacuation.
As the wildfires continued to pose an imminent threat, local police reported that approximately 16,000 people were evacuated by land, while an additional 3,000 individuals sought safety by sea, encompassing 12 villages and multiple hotels. The evacuation efforts have so far been successful in avoiding casualties. Six individuals experienced respiratory issues and were briefly hospitalised, but they have since been released after receiving medical attention.
Herculean firefighting measures and challenges
The firefighting operations have been relentless, with a team of 266 firefighters and 49 engines trying to douse the flames on the ground. Five helicopters and 10 planes, including seven from Greece, two from Turkey, and one from Croatia, have also been deployed to combat the wildfires. In a bid to bolster firefighting efforts, an additional 15 engines are expected to join the fight later in the day.
One of the most challenging fronts of the wildfire lies in the mountainous region of Rhodes, where firefighters are leaving no stone unturned to prevent the blaze from encroaching upon the nearby dense forests. In another critical area southwest of the resort of Kiotari, where the main evacuations were concentrated on Saturday, a protective trench is being strategically dug to impede the fire’s progress across a creek and thwart the potential threat to another seaside village called Gennadi.
Despite the herculean firefighting measures, the Mediterranean country remains under the grip of hot weather conditions. Before midday on Sunday, temperatures had already soared to a scorching 38°C (100°F). Although winds have been low, they are notoriously variable in Rhodes, a common trait among various Greek islands, making firefighting efforts all the more challenging.
(With inputs from Associated Press)