67 new fires start in Greece, most out of control, and evacuations continue in chaos

It is the largest evacuation operation ever organized in Greece. Hundreds of firefighters and rescuers are hard at work on the island of Rhodes. And the night did not calm the flames: there have been 67 fire starts in Greece since yesterday, Sunday July 23. In Rhodes, the three main fronts are still burning, for the 7th consecutive day. So the evacuations continue, and in places are still just as chaotic.

>> TESTIMONIALS. Fire in Greece: French tourists returning from the island of Rhodes are “happy to be back”

The results on this Monday morning are dramatic: more than 40,000 hectares have been burned on Rhodes, or a third of the island. Among them, 1,500 hectares went up in smoke in protected areas. The ecological catastrophe is immense. Rhodes is actually a big mountain lined with beaches. Without trees, there is no way to retain the earth when it rains, which raises fears of flooding in the fall. It was also the refuge of several protected or endangered animal species, such as the Dama-Dama deer or certain small wild horses, which risk losing their habitat.

Starts of fires out of control elsewhere in the country

Outside of Rhodes, the situation is no better. The 67 fire starts since Sunday are mostly out of control, and concern several islands, including the island of Evia or Corfu.
Again, we evacuate. Nearly 2,500 people were evacuated to the island of Corfu overnight from Sunday to Monday, firefighters said.

But there is a great controversy that is rising in the country. This policy of systematic, preventive evacuation is very good, but the infrastructures have to follow. This is clearly not the case. But the authorities had all winter to prepare for it, and it was not done. Consequence: the evacuations are carried out in apocalyptic conditions. This is unprecedented for the country.