Massive wildfire on Rhodes burning along 3 fronts; thousands evacuated

A massive three-front wildfire on the popular holiday island of Rhodes was burning for a sixth straight day in the central and southeast part of the large isle, despite the intense efforts of hundreds of fire-fighters, emergency crews and volunteers.

The blaze has caused the evacuation of thousands of tourists and local residents, with the flames reaching several coastal hotels and resorts and surrounding inland villages. Images of the inferno were broadcast around the world, with the wildfire leading off the newscasts of several international media outlets.

A heatwave in the eastern Mediterranean, affecting much of Greece, along with arid soil conditions, has caused a high alert in much of the country for wildfire risks.
Water-dropping aircraft began operating at dawn on Sunday, while evacuated people were being hosted in gymnasiums, available hotel rooms and other lodgings. Many of the evacuees, roughly 2,500, were taken off beaches by private tour boats and coast guard vessels.

The calamity is accompanied by power outages and loss of mobile phone service in parts of the island, due to burned power pylons and cell sites in affected areas.

In terms of only fire brigade forces battling the blazes, 266 fire-fighters in the field were using 49 fire trucks and related vehicles, and aided by five water-dropping helicopters and 10 fixed-winged aircraft. Another 10 vehicles with 60 fire brigade personnel were in transit to the island, which lies in the southeast Aegean.

Back in Athens, during a daily press briefing, fire brigade spokesman Yiannis Artopios said the blaze was caused by “human intervention”, with an ongoing preliminary investigation collecting evidence and issuing summonses for statements.

“Fires are the result of human intervention, what’s under review is whether this is due to negligence or intent,” he said.