Wildfire Map Spotlight: Rhodes Wildfires

What is the name and location of the wildfire?

The Rhodes wildfire burning as of July 24, 2023 is located on the Aegean Sea island of Rhodes, which is part of the Dodecanese archipelago off Greece's southeast coast (1)(2).

Extreme temperatures reaching as high as 113 degrees Fahrenheit were recorded on the mainland over the weekend. There have recently been serious wildfires on the mainland near Athens.

Which cities or areas are affected by the wildfire?

The cities and towns directly impacted by the wildfires in Greece include:

• Rhodes: The main island affected by the weeklong fire that roared down from the mountains into several coastal areas.
• Corfu: An island in the Ionian Sea where fires raged in the northeast end, leading to 2,000 people being ordered to evacuate.
• Evia: An island where precautionary evacuations were carried out.

Air quality may be affected in coastal areas of Crete and Turkey.

What is the current containment status of the wildfire?

There have been no updates on containment

Are there any evacuation orders or alerts in place?

Evacuation orders and alerts have been issued due to the wildfire. Around 32,000 "precautionary evacuations" were carried out over the weekend on the islands of Rhodes, Corfu, and Evia. Tourists were being crowded into emergency shelters in schools, airports, and sports facilities. The evacuation centers were set up to assist the thousands of residents and tourists fleeing to safety from the affected areas.

Neighboring nations including Turkey, Croatia, and Egypt were providing planes and helicopters to aid in the effort to control the blazes.

Authorities suspect arson as the cause of some of the fires.

How can I protect myself from wildfire smoke?

Always plan ahead to protect yourself from wildfire smoke.

• Get a free air quality app for real-time air quality alerts and forecasts.
• Shut doors and windows and set the HVAC to recirculate mode.
• Run a high-performance air purifier to filter wildfire smoke.
• Contribute to your community’s outdoor air quality data.
• Stay indoors; if you do need to go outdoors, wear a KN95/FFP2 mask.