File photo.
Firefighters and civil protection forces were placed on heightened alert after a wildfire broke out shortly after 2 p.m. Saturday on Mount Atavyros on the island of Rhodes, according to reports.
The fire is burning in low vegetation at high altitude between the villages of Embonas and Agios Isidoros. Although it is not affecting forested land, authorities said it is considered particularly dangerous due to weather conditions.
A large firefighting operation is underway, with strong ground forces deployed from the outset. Officials have requested aerial support stationed on the island, with aircraft expected to join efforts to contain the blaze.
Volunteer groups and civil protection units are also assisting firefighters on the ground as authorities work to limit the fire’s spread and bring it under control.
