The fire besieged holiday villages in the southern and southeastern parts of Rhodes. reporter Antti Kuronen reports from the island.
RHODES The thermometer hurts to forty degrees and a brisk north wind whips the landscape. The conditions are ideal for wildfires.
The front of the wildfires is in the Vati area, five kilometers from the coast in the southeast part of the island.
Huge flames flare up in different directions. When the wind reaches a new bush or conifer, it bursts into flames.
Kristo Pakis is one of dozens of volunteers fighting the fire. The fire brigade and clearing vehicles are also present. Machines are constantly flying in the sky that drop water on the ground.
Kristo Pakis and his friends are trying to build roads that would stop the fire. For example, they cut down trees along the roads. They also go right up to the flames and hit them with shovels.
According to the volunteers, the hero of the Vati front today is one of the drivers of the clearing vehicles. It looks like he is fighting in the middle of a fire against the forces of nature.
Kristo Pakis has participated in extinguishing wildfires in Rhodes several times, but this year the scale is much larger.
Last weekend, a fire raged north of Tavi in the central parts of Rhodes. From the road that runs along the coast, you can see many resorts that have been blocked by fire. The surrounding terrain is pitch black, but the hotels seem to be well preserved.
We were prepared, says the hotel owner
Owner of Mitsis Rodos Village luxury hotel Stavros Mitsis says that he plans to open the doors again this week. Rhodes tourism must be saved.
– The fire has been massive and is still going on, but the hotels have survived. We were prepared, says Mitsis.
He says that the hotel’s air conditioners have been damaged by the smoke. Cables have also been destroyed in the fire.
Mitsis tells about the evacuations, which were very dramatic. He used his own car to drive people to a nearby town, from where there was transport onward. The fire moved really fast.
He says he’s doing fairly well despite everything. Many employees, on the other hand, have taken the events seriously.
– Now we invest in the well-being of the personnel, for example with the support of psychologists. Then, when the staff is able to contribute again, we will open the hotel.
Mitsis believes that the hotel can be opened by the end of the week. The staff wants to get back to everyday life, he says.
No one knows if Rhodes’ reputation as a holiday destination has been permanently damaged.
Newcomers are accommodated in the northern parts of the island
However, Finnair’s plane was quite full when it landed in Rhodes today, Tuesday morning. At least twenty people have canceled their trip, but more have gone on.
They say that changing the trip would have been very expensive and the vacation cannot be postponed. They plan to stay in the northern parts of Rhodes, where it is safe. Not even the smell of smoke gets there.
Entrepreneur Pekka Koposella this week was vacation, and after that it’s back to work.
– We could have changed the trip, but it would have been too expensive, he says.
Before the trip, Koponen wondered if traveling to Rhodes was right in this situation. There have also been unpleasant tones in the media.
– It’s okay for me to come. We support the tourism and economy of Rhodes. This is how we help.
Koponen had found out that it is safe in the northern part of Rhodes. According to Koponen, the situation is still really sad, for Rhodes and the world.
– Of course, worry about the situation in the world, where we are going. These situations escalate all the time.