Rhodes, an important island in Greece, has declared a state of emergency after wildfires destroyed large extensions of land.

With temperatures of 42°C recorded in the centre and south, “the wildfires continue to devastate the country”, Stefanos Botonis told Evangelical Focus. He is the secretary general of the Greek Evangelical Alliance.

Only on Tuesday 26 July, “there were 53 incidents”. That same afternoon, a fire extinguishing plane crashed and the two pilots were killed. According to the Greek Fire Department many of these new incidents can be brought under control, but the wildfires continue to rekindle in the islands of Rhodes and Corfu.

Rhodes

“The wildfire in Rhodes is the worst since it has turn to ashes over 110 square kilometers. Greek authorities issue alert messages through the 112-message system in order to evacuate people from villages and towns that are threatened by the fire”, explains Botonis.

“Many houses, some hotels and vehicles were burned down. On the island of Rhodes over 19,000 locals and tourists had to evacuate. The local authorities assisted by many volunteers from the local population provided some accommodation in hotels, public buildings like schools and stadiums”.

Sadness among the population

Asked about how the population is reacting to the tragedy, the Greek evangelical leader sees a “sadness that runs across the country”.

“The local people on the islands where the fire is still going are also afraid. You can imagine how hard it is for the tourists that came for vacation and found themselves in a life-threatening situation. The majority of the tourists are thankful for the help they have received. Some were literally salvaged from the fire due to the efforts of local people, police, and firefighters”.

After difficult wildfires seasons in recent years, “there is also a demand for better preparation on behalf of the government for preventing the wildfires and their effects. All people though are aware of the extreme weather conditions (extreme heat and strong winds) that made the situation very difficult to handle”.

The Greek Evangelical Alliance leader has no direct information yet about what evangelical churches are doing to help in the most affected areas. “But the Greek Evangelical Community provided help in the past both in the area close to Athens in 2017 and in North Evia in 2021 by giving needed supplies, helping clean burned properties”. Botoni is sure that “similar help will be organised also now”.

How to pray for Greece

“Please pray that the wildfires will be extinguished”, Botoni said in answers to Evangelical Focus.

“Pray for the people effected by the fires, those who lost their property, and the covering of their needs by the government and other assistance. Pray for the Greek Evangelical community as we organize the effort to provide aid and relief to the people effected by the fires. Pray for our government to take the needed steps and pass the right laws in order to protect both the beautiful environment of our country, but also the people and their property”.