Greece Gets Help As France, Italy, Cyprus Send Firefighting Aircraft To Battle Rhodes Blaze

Rhodes, Greece (AHN) - More than 2,000 tourists are being evacuated from hotels on the Greek Island of Rhodes Friday, on the fourth day of a raging forest fire that France, Italy and Cyprus are sending firefighting aircraft to help in battling the blaze.

Police officials reportedly said the tourists were being evacuated as a precaution as winds picked up and smoke from the inferno billowed across the island.

Homes in the village of Laerma were being threatened by the blaze on Friday afternoon as the fire advanced to within 50 yards of the town.

Officials are trying to prevent a repeat of last year's devastating forest fires in southern Greece that killed more than 70 people.

Reinforcements from Athens and northern Greece were also sent to assist the 34 fire engines, 160 firefighters, 100 soldiers and 13 aircraft that were already trying to keep the blaze confined to the eastern portion of the island. Picturesque Rhodes is one of Greece's top tourist destinations.

Rhodes was declared a disaster area on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, a fire in southern Greece closed a highway and rail services between Athens and the western port city Patras on Friday.