A wildfire erupted some seven kilometers from the renowned “Valley of Butterflies” on the Dodecanese holiday island of Rhodes on Monday, generating a significant fire-fighting response given the massive destruction and fatalities that a series of blazes caused on the popular holiday isle in July 2023.
The fire brigade said 52 fire-fighters were battling the blaze, operating 16 vehicles and aided by four water-dropping aircraft.
In statements to local media, the deputy mayor in charge of civil defense on Rhodes, Michalis Thomatos, said volunteer forces from throughout the large island were also being dispatched to the scene, located midway between the villages of Tholo and Soroni.
