Firefighters push back blaze
2008-07-26 13:14
Athens - Firefighters on the Greek island of Rhodes on Saturday pushed back a blaze that has devastated the island's pine forests for five days and forced hotel evacuations on Friday, officials said.
"This is the first day when we can say that conditions are better," the deputy prefect of the Dodecanese island group Fotis Hatzidiakos told private Skai Radio.
"One of the main fire fronts looks like it will be extinguished soon and two more fronts are also in decline."
The fire - believed to have destroyed more than 5 000 hectares of forest and brush on verdant Rhodes, one of Greece's prime travel destinations - threatened a village Friday and led to three hotel evacuations.
"The hotels were evacuated as a precaution because of smoke and guests were taken to neighbouring villages but most have now returned," Hatzidiakos said.
A force of more than 500 firefighters, 100 soldiers and 17 aircraft including four waterbombers from Italy and France and a helicopter from Cyprus are deployed on the island, a fire department press officer said.
The fire department said inhabited areas were not in threat on Saturday but fire continued to burn in the forest near the village of Laerma whose outskirts were scorched on Friday, reportedly resulting in the loss of two houses.
A 61-year-old man was sentenced on Friday to four years in prison and a fine of €15 000 for starting the fire by negligence in the village of Agios Isidoros, the semi-state Athens News Agency reported.
The risk of fire is particularly elevated this summer due to low rainfall, high temperatures and strong winds and hundreds of blazes have broken out.
Last year, devastating forest fires left 77 people dead and burned 270 000 hectares of forest and agricultural land.
- AFP