Greece continues to struggle to control fires in Rhodes, Corfu and Euboea

A forest fire on the Greek island of Rhodes, which has caused the evacuation of thousands of people, continues to burn out of control this Tuesday. eighth day in a row. Meanwhile, hundreds of firefighters are fighting to control the fires on the islands of Corfu and Euboea.

In weather conditions that are expected to be unfavorable, with high temperatures and strong windsome 270 firefighters to take part in strenuous attempts to contain the flames on Rhodes, which had already flared up more than 14,000 hectares of forest and several homes, along with the killing of numerous animals that have not yet been quantified.

With the first light of day, two seaplanes and two tanker helicopters began to operate. It is expected that some 20 additional fire trucks arrive on the island in the next few hours to assist with operations.

After the declaration of this big fire eight days ago approx 19,000 tourists and residents of twelve cities had to be moved to the north of Rhodes, in what is a major evacuation operation recorded in Greek history, according to information provided by the country’s fire brigade.

For its part, the flames continue to burn in a vast area that includes the center and south of the island, near the east coast. Hundreds of soldiers and volunteers battled through the night to prevent the flames from engulfing the town of Malonas and the coastal town of Kalathos.

Fires out of control in Corfu and Euboea

Meanwhile, the media reports that another large forest fire has flared up again on the northwestern island of Corfu, keeping firefighters busy. third day in a row. The flames flared up again this Tuesday and are threatening the town of Lutses, on Mount Pantokrator (north of the island).

Because of this fire, the authorities evacuated about 100,000 people at dawn on Monday as a precautionary measure 2,500 tourists coastal towns in the northeast of Corfu. However, they later managed to return to their lodgings after the flames currently burning on the mountain were localized, without endangering tourist facilities coast.

Also on the island of Euboea, northeast of Athens, more than a hundred firefighters are still battling another blaze that has raged for the third day in a row around the coastal town of Karisto.

Dozens of other smaller sources spread across Greek territory are keeping firefighters busy across the country and raising the alarm about fires caused by unusually high temperatures, drought and strong gusts of wind.

In the middle of a wave of several days of extreme heat, the thermometers marked 46.4 degrees on Sunday it is in the city of Gythio in the Peloponnese the hottest temperature ever recorded in the Hellenic land. According to the National Meteorological Institute, the heat wave will continue until Thursday, when a significant drop in temperatures (between 5 and 7 degrees) is expected.