Fire fronts are raging on the island of Rhodes as firefighters are desperately trying to control the flames from spreading. The fires started on Tuesday afternoon while Greek authorities are still making efforts to control the fires burning in Attica.

Authorities have ordered the evacuation of the villages of Eleousa, Salakos, Dimilia, and the mountain of Profitis Ilias, where the Elaphos Hotel is located, as it is becoming increasingly difficult to contain the spread of the flames.

According to reports from the South Aegean Region, cited by the Athens News Agency, the fire is raging out of control on at least three fronts and there are constant reignitions while the situation is considered particularly difficult.

Shortly after 11 o’clock on Wednesday morning, there was a major resurgence on the front towards Ebmonas in the west of the island just as three of the six air assets operating since the morning had gone to refuel.

The South Aegean regional authorities issued a statement for the requisition of all construction machinery and water carriers in an attempt to assist in the firefighting operations.

The Civil Protection of the South Aegean Region has closed the following roads:
from Salakos to Embonas from Apollo to Embonas and from Laerma to Apollo.

The fire that started on Tuesday afternoon spread rapidly as it burned virgin forest and burned on two fronts.

According to local media, the fire is moving towards the”Stefanies” area of Laermon on the north tip of the island and towards the area of Artamitis.

This is a rugged area of virgin forest where there is plenty of greenery which fueled the fire at a rapid pace.

Experienced volunteer forest firefighters are talking about one of the biggest, most dangerous, and hardest to control fires in recent years in Rhodes because it is burning in virgin forest.

The spokesman of the fire brigade, Yiannis Artopios, also spoke of the levels of difficulty in extinguishing the flames, as the pine and cypress trees burning are large.

The ground forces operating in the area of the fire in Rhodes are 86 firefighters with 28 vehicles and three hiking teams.

During the night the former president of the local community of Apollonon V. Piperis was injured during the night and was at the front to help extinguish the fire. Mr. Piperis suffered burns and has been taken to hospital.

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