- By Siobhan Toman & Rosina This is
- BBC news
Watch: Tourists gather outside after being evacuated from their resort hotels
Thousands of people have been evacuated from homes and hotels on the island of Rhodes, according to Greece’s fire service.
Private ships joined the Greek coastguard in helping to pick up people from the beaches in the east of the island.
Greek navy ships are also reported to be heading to the area, which is popular with tourists.
Greece’s deputy fire chief said the fires in Rhodes are the most difficult his service has faced so far.
No injuries were reported, according to Greece’s Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection.
The ministry said the guests were safely evacuated from the affected areas of Rhodes – representing less than 10% of the “total tourist capacity” – and redirected to other hotels on the island.
Five helicopters and 173 firefighters are operating in the area, with three hotels in the Kiotari area reported to have been damaged by the fire.
A British woman said she was evacuated from the hotel where she was staying with her sister and daughter, but is now stranded on a beach with hundreds of others in extreme heat.
“There’s a little hut here and we have a lot,” Becky Mulligan told the BBC. “There are children, it’s the middle of the day, we’re just stuck here without help, it’s disgusting.”
Simon Wheatley said ash started falling on his pizza when he was eating.
“The hotel says it’s normal and there’s no need to worry because they’re talking to the authorities about the situation,” he told the BBC.
His hotel was later evacuated.
“We saw that a beach bar we went to the other day was on fire. The smoke was so bad. We had to leave two bags of luggage behind.”
Travel company TUI said a small number of its hotels were affected and it was moving customers to alternative accommodation as a precaution.
Jet2 also said it was aware of the situation in Rhodes and asked customers to follow local guidance.
Greek navy ships are reported to be heading for Rhodes
Firefighters from Slovakia arrived in Rhodes on Saturday to help local teams battling the fires.
“The situation in Rhodes is serious and extremely difficult. Due to the strong wind and quick change in the direction of the fire, the firefighters had to withdraw and move,” the Slovak Fire and Rescue Services posted on Facebook.
Part of the Slovak rescue team has moved to coastal resorts to help with evacuation efforts there, they said.
Greece is facing extreme heat this week, with meteorologists warning that temperatures could soar to 45C (113F).
It could be Greece’s hottest July week in 50 years, one of the country’s top meteorologists said.
Firefighters continue to battle several fires across the country. An area west of Athens was among the worst hit, along with Laconia in the southern Peloponnese and the island of Rhodes.
And authorities are warning of a very high risk of new fires as temperatures continue to rise.
People have been advised to stay at home, and tourist sites – including the ancient Acropolis in Athens – will be closed during the hottest parts of the next two days.
Greece – like many other European countries – saw a prolonged period of extreme heat earlier this month.
The latest heatwave comes at one of the busiest times for the country’s tourism industry.
Are you in the area? Have you been affected by the fires in Rhodes? If it is safe to do so, you can share your experiences via email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.
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