Wildfires Hit Rhodes, Crete And Serifos

Trees are burning near a monument at the village of Megalo Livadi on Greece’s Aegean island of Serifos as a wildfire rages nearby on Saturday 27 July 2013. Photo: Chloe Kritharas Devienne

A number of villages on three Greek islands were evacuated of locals and tourists over the weekend due to wildfires that struck at the height of the Greece’s tourism season.

Rhodes, Crete and Serifos were all affected by the fires.

The large wildfire that broke out on Rhodes over the weekend came under control on Monday, 29 July, after burning some 3,000 hectares of forest land in the south of the island.

According to reports, the fire was a result of a barbeque set by a 40-year-old man on the island. The man has been taken into custody and accused of negligence and provoking a fire.

On Crete, firefighters were battling a fire in the Messara area that proved difficult to extinguish due to wind changes.

The fire on Serifos began 25 July and the areas of Koutalas and Mega Livadi had to be evacuated. According to reports, historic buildings were damaged.