Aerial footage shows devastation as huge wildfires spread across Greek holiday island Rhodes

Aerial footage shows devastation as huge wildfires spread across Greek holiday island Rhodes BRITISH families are experiencing holidays from hell in the “war-zone“ of Rhodes as they are forced to flee burning hotels, wade through water and sleep on gym floors. Up to 19,000 locals and tourists are on the move in the biggest evacuation effort Greece has ever seen due to the wildfires spinning out of control on the popular island. Over 16,000 people were evacuated by land and 3,000 by sea from 12 villages and several hotels - many of which were Brits. Extraordinary scenes show columns of people carrying their luggage and children on dirt roads as they try to find safety. Many found temporary refuge on the beach as they waited in darkness overnight to be transported to safety by boats. Other fleeing Brits have spent the night in makeshift camps across the island - with young kids forced to sleep on mattresses in classrooms and gyms. British Embassy officials in Athens urged Brits to leave the area on Saturday evening - as holidays and flights to Rhodes continue to be cancelled. The Foreign Office has also scrambled an evacuation team in. The British ambassador to Greece, Mathew Lodge, said the Foreign Office had sent a “rapid deployment team“ to help UK tourists who were among thousands forced to run for their lives. Over 250 firefighters, backed by aircraft water-bombers and reinforcements from Slovakia, battled three fronts on Sunday in the biggest blaze Greece has ever seen. Become a Sun Subscriber and hit the bell to be the first to know Read The Sun: Like The Sun on Facebook: Follow The Sun on Twitter: Subscribe to The Sun on Snapchat: