Greece Videos Show Flames and Smoke Engulf Island As Thousands Flee

People escaping from the wildfires that have been engulfing Greece have been captured in footage that shows thousands of homeowners and tourists evacuating areas as strong winds spread the flames across the island of Rhodes.

According to the BBC, an estimated 3,500 people needed to evacuate as the fires continued to rage.

Greek fire authorities said the evacuation of 2,000 people on Saturday affected less than 10 percent of tourist accommodation on the island, but added that fire risks remained high across the island and that extreme risks of wildfires were predicted on the mainland.

Locals help firefighters in Greece
Locals help firefighters as they try to extinguish a wildfire burning near the village Vlyhada near Athens on July 19, 2023. Videos shared online have shown the wildfires had spread across the island of Rhodes.... Getty

Reuters reported Greek civil protection authorities warnings of wildfires and that temperatures could reach 113 degrees Fahrenheit during the ongoing heatwave that has broken temperature records across Europe.

According to British newspaper The Guardian, 266 firefighters and 49 fire engines as well as five helicopters and 10 planes, two of which were Turkish and one Croatian, battled the flames.

In one video, uploaded by Jon Hughes, dozens of people could be seen walking along a road while dark clouds of smoke rose in the distance and hovered above several buildings. The clip has since been viewed more than 2 million times.

Hughes also hit out at British airline Jet2 in the tweet caption and claimed they offered little help, adding: "Jet2 where are you? No help, contact or guidance.

"[I] had to walk four miles in the heat across dirt tracks and ash with a 5-year-old. No possessions."

A second video shared by the Twitter account Sos-UK-Report showed orange-tinged smoke broiling down from the hills toward the sea and harbor on the Greek island as people appeared shocked at what they were seeing.

The account captioned the video: "30,000 people evacuated from Rhodes island in Greece due to fires. The situation is getting out of control."

Since being uploaded to Twitter on July 23, the video has been viewed an estimated 107,900 times.

Earlier today, Jet2 announced all flights to Rhodes were canceled up to and including Sunday, July 30, over concerns regarding the fires.

In a Sunday, July 23, tweet the company said: "The situation in Rhodes continues to evolve quickly, and our absolute priority is the health, safety and well-being of customers and colleagues in the affected areas."

Other airlines such as TUI have also canceled all flights, while companies such as EasyJet said it would continue operating flights, but that the situation would be monitored closely.

Uncommon Knowledge

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

About the writer


Anders Anglesey is a U.S. News Reporter based in London, U.K., covering crime, politics, online extremism and trending stories. Anders ... Read more

To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.

Newsweek cover
  • Newsweek magazine delivered to your door
  • Newsweek Voices: Diverse audio opinions
  • Enjoy ad-free browsing on Newsweek.com
  • Comment on articles
  • Newsweek app updates on-the-go
Newsweek cover
  • Newsweek Voices: Diverse audio opinions
  • Enjoy ad-free browsing on Newsweek.com
  • Comment on articles
  • Newsweek app updates on-the-go