'The heat is chronic' says Dublin woman in Greece as Irish citizens caught up in Rhodes wildfires
Clouds of smoke from a forest fire rise to the sky on the island of Rhodes on Saturday. Picture: Rhodes.Rodos via AP
A number of Irish citizens have contacted the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) having been caught up in the raging wildfires on the Greek island of Rhodes.
Greece is currently mounting its biggest evacuation ever, moving thousands of people from villages and resorts on the island as wildfires rage for a sixth day.
High-speed winds have been fanning the flames, impeding efforts to evcuate people and contain the blaze.
The DFA is advising Irish people not to travel to parts of the country currently ravaged by wildfires, and to "move rapidly out of any areas affected."
Extremely hot a dry conditions have seen wildfires rage on several Greek islands in recent days, with the popular islands of Evia, Corfu and Rhodes hardest-hit.
In Corfu, around 60 people were evacuated from the popular Nissaki beach on the island's northwest coast, according to the Greek Coast Guard.
In Rhodes, some 19,000 people were moved out of homes and hotels last night as fires tore through forests and surrounded a number of coastal resorts on the island's south-eastern coast.
According to the Greek government, firefighters were battling to contain some 82 wildfires in various parts of the country as of last night, 64 of which began over the last 24 hours.
Dublin woman Janet Karamanos, who has been living on Rhodes for 20 years, says that the fires on the island are spreading.
She said that people were being evacuated by buses and boats that would normally be used for tourism facilities.
Ms Karamanos said that one of her concerns was about smoke inhalation and the fact that winds were changing direction which made containing the fires very difficult.
People who would normally work in hotels and bars were instead volunteering to fight fires and others had returned to their home towns and villages to help evacuate their families. This meant hospitality businesses did not have staff and could not open, she said.
“The heat is chronic. It’s just boiling all the time," she told RTÉ radio’s .
She also said that electricity and water have been shut off for up to six hours at a time, meaning there was no air-conditioning.
“This is the hottest summer I have known and I’ve been here 20 years," she said.
In an advisory, the DFA said that large-scale fires had caused road closures and extensive property damage to property on Rhodes in the areas of Kiotari, Lardos, Pefko, Lindos, Massari, Malonas Apollona, Laermon and Lardos.
The DFA warned any Irish people in these areas to "be aware that the air quality in areas near active fires may also deteriorate due to heavy smoke."
A DFA spokesperson said that the situation on the ground is "evolving" and that Irish citizens should "comply with evacuation orders and follow instructions from the emergency service, police and local authorities."
The spokesperson also urged any Irish people on the ground in Rhodes to "stay fully informed of what is going on by monitoring local news and social media".
"Call the Greek Emergency Services on 112 if you are in immediate danger," the spokesperson added.
"Turn mobile phones on to roaming, to receive any alerts from local authorities."
Lastly, the DFA said that temporary shelters on Rhodes had been established for tourists who have had to evacuate their hotels.
Any affected travellers should contact your tour operator or agency for information on arrangements and flights, the DFA said.
Anyone in need of consular assistance has been advised to call the Embassy of Ireland in Greece on +30 2107232771 or the Honorary Consulate of Ireland in Rhodes on +30 2241075655.
People in Ireland with concerns can contact the Department of Foreign Affairs on 01 4082527.
Any Irish citizens who are planning to travel to Rhodes have been advised to check with their travel operator, agency, or hotel, beforehand "to see if the area you plan to visit is impacted by the current wildfires and evacuations."
"We advise against travel to affected areas," the spokesperson added.
Amy Leyden and her family were told to evacuate overnight. She said: “The police ran into our hotel and said ‘you need to go now, you’re not going to make it’. It was just terrifying.
“We’ve got our 11-year-old daughter with us and we were walking down the road at 2am and I didn’t think we were going to make it.”
Meanwhile, the European Union has said that is has substantial reinforcements to help Greek authorities battle the fires.
“Over 450 firefighters and seven airplanes from the EU have been operating in Greece as fires sprout across the country,” Janez Lenarcic, EU commissioner for humanitarian aid and crisis management, Janez Lenarcic, said on Sunday.
CLIMATE & SUSTAINABILITY HUB
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
