Tourists flee from Greece forest fire

ATHENS, Greece, July 26 (UPI) -- Forest fires in Greece have forced the evacuations of thousands of people, including three tourist hotels on the island of Rhodes, officials said Saturday.

More than 2,000 tourists were ordered to leave their hotels and were taken to the mainland, the BBC reported.

"Three hotels were evacuated as a precaution, mainly because smoke from the fire had created an unpleasant atmosphere," Haralambos Kokkinos, the South Aegean regional governor, told the British broadcaster. "The evacuation was orderly and there were no problems. The tourists were taken to the nearby coast and will remain there until the smoke clears."

Firefighters from France, Italy and Cyprus have arrived to help Greeks battling wildfires in the southern part of the country for the fourth straight day. A dangerous blaze just north of Athens was contained Friday. Some 65 people were killed in wildfires in Greece last year, the BBC said.