In Pictures

Thousands more evacuated as Greece battles wildfires

Firefighters are struggling to contain 82 wildfires across Greece, 64 of which started on Sunday, the hottest day so far.

Firefighter Nektarios Kefalas tries to extinguish a wildfire burning near the village of Asklipieio, on the island of Rhodes, — Firefighter Nektarios Kefalas tries to extinguish a wildfire burning near the village of Asklipieio, on the island of Rhodes. [Nicolas Economou/Reuters]

Greek authorities evacuated nearly 2,500 more people from the island of Corfu on Monday as crews fought several wildfires in the heat-battered country.

Tens of thousands of people have already fled blazes on the island of Rhodes, with many frightened tourists scrambling to get home.

About 2,400 visitors and locals were evacuated from Corfu from Sunday into Monday, a fire service spokesperson said, adding that the departures were a precaution.

Greece has been sweltering under a lengthy spell of extreme heat that has exacerbated wildfire risk and left visitors stranded in peak tourist season.

Some 30,000 people fled Rhodes at the weekend, the country’s largest-ever wildfire evacuation.

Police said 16,000 people had been transported on land and evacuated 3,000 by sea. Others had to flee by road or used their own transport after being told to leave the area.

Rhodes, which counted 2.5 million visitor arrivals in 2022, is one of Greece’s leading holiday destinations.

Like every summer, Greece is plagued by forest fires, often deadly, ravaging tens of thousands of hectares of forest and vegetation.

This summer, the country experienced one of the longest heatwaves in recent years, according to experts, with the thermometer hitting 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit) on the weekend.

On Monday, the heat was expected to ease slightly, with temperatures expected to reach 37C (98.6F) in Athens, but on Tuesday, it was forecasted to pick up again.

Firefighters, volunteers and police officers operate as a wildfire burns near the village of Asklipieio, — Firefighters, volunteers and police officers operate as a wildfire burns near the village of Asklipieio. [Nicolas Economou/Reuters]

Flames and smoke rise as a wildfire burns near the village of Asklipieio — Flames and smoke rise from a wildfire burning near the village of Asklipieio. [Nicolas Economou/Reuters]

A resident tries to extinguish the flames at the yard of a house on the Aegean Sea island of Rhodes, — A resident tries to extinguish the flames at the yard of a house on the island of Rhodes. [Petros Giannakouris/AP Photo]

A man walks next to the burnt sunbeds and umbrellas at a beach on the Aegean Sea island of Rhodes, — A man walks past burnt sunbeds and umbrellas on a beach on the island of Rhodes. [Petros Giannakouris/AP Photo]

A burnt car sits in foreground of a charred area after a fire near the village of Kiotari, on the Greek island of Rhodes — A burnt car sits in foreground of a charred area after a fire near the village of Kiotari, on the island of Rhodes. [Spyros Bakalis/AFP]

Plumes of smoke rise from a wildfire on the island of Corfu. [TikTok @djidronepiloot via Reuters]

epa10765457 A firefighting helicopter drops water to extinguish a wildfire, in Diakopto, Egio, Greece — A firefighting helicopter drops water to extinguish a wildfire in Diakopto, Egio. [Giota Lotsari/EPA]

A wildfire burns at the Trapeza village, in Achaia Peloponnese, Greece — A wildfire burns at the Trapeza village, in Achaia in the Peloponnese. [Giota Lotsari/EPA]