Athens (EFE)
At least eighteen towns on the Greek island of Corfu have had to be evacuated this morning, as well as another seven on the island of Euboea, due to large fires, while firefighters are fighting this Monday for the seventh consecutive day in Rhodes against the flames that again threaten populated areas.
Although the fire that forced the evacuation of some 19,000 people in Rhodes over the weekend, including 6,000 tourists, seemed to be in remission this morning, strong winds reignited the flames that currently threaten the town of Asklipío in the south of the island.
Many international travel agencies have canceled flights to the island, which is a strong blow to the economy of Rhodes, whose main engine is tourism.
The flames also threaten the towns of Genadi and Vatí, which have already been evacuated.
Some 270 firefighters operate in the area with 55 vehicles, 4 planes and 3 tanker helicopters.
The fire has burned thousands of hectares of virgin forest and animals, as well as houses and some hotels on the island.
The easyJet airline has announced that it will begin this Monday to repatriate British tourists who have been forced to leave their hotels in Rhodes due to the fires.
The Government of the Czech Republic is also preparing to repatriate hundreds of Czech tourists affected by the situation on the island, by sending two transport planes.
extreme heat wave
On the island of Corfu, located in the northwest of the country, 18 towns and some 2,500 people had to be evacuated last night due to a large fire that threatens the north of the island.
There, some 60 firefighters, with 21 vehicles, 2 helicopters and 2 tanker planes are fighting to contain the fire.
Until now, no tourist areas have had to be evacuated, since the fire affects Mount Pantokrator and has not spread to the north coast of the island.
The mayor, Yorgos Maximaris, has assured that the fire was caused, since it was declared simultaneously in several different points.
Meanwhile, in Euboea, northeast of Athens, another major fire is raging out of control around the coastal town of Karistos.
Here seven towns have been evacuated due to the difficulty of containing the flames due to the strong winds that blow in the area.
More than 100 firefighters with 32 vehicles, 3 planes and 2 tanker helicopters are fighting the fire.
Another hundred troops also fight against a fourth fire on the Peloponnese peninsula, near the town of Egio, which forced the evacuation of several nearby towns yesterday and interrupted traffic on local roads.
Greece has been experiencing an extreme heat wave for days in which thermometers have reached 46.4 degrees in the city of Gytio, in the Peloponnese, the highest temperature ever recorded in the country.
Although this Monday the temperatures will drop a bit across Greece, forecasters expect them to rise again throughout the week.