In Rhodes, Greece, wildfires recently erupted, leading to the largest evacuation of tourists the country has seen to date. Approximately 2,466 residents from 17 villages along Corfu's northern coast, a region favored by British villa owners and tourists, were forced to flee from their homes overnight.
One of the evacuees is Fiona Michelle, a 30-year-old content creator based in London, who shared her experience of being on the ground during the panic. She described it as a "weekend trip that transformed into survival mode within 24 hours." The video rapidly gained popularity on TikTok, amassing hundreds of thousands of views within a couple of days.
On July 17, there were wildfires in Rhodes, Greece, which made their way toward tourist-filled resorts
Image credits: fionamichelle__
Image credits: fionamichelle__
As soon as the TikToker realized something was off, she inquired with the hotel staff, who informed her that they hadn't received any official information except for a fire incident two villas away, and they assured her that their location was safe from evacuation. Of course, Fiona was unaware that wildfires had started three days earlier, on July 18, and were far from being under control.
Later, she noticed a chaotic scene with rescue helicopters and resort staff rushing back and forth. Concerned, she returned to her hotel room and urgently contacted reception to inquire about the situation and seek guidance.
"They told me to get out of the room ASAP and head down to the beach immediately for safety," Fiona told Buzzfeed.
"We asked them where we were going, [but] they weren’t sure themselves," she continued, noting that at that point, local residents with boats jumped in to help as well. "[They] just said we must get on the boat. A lot of people were very unsure about getting on boats 'til they had no choice as everyone was leaving."
TikToker Fiona Michelle was one of the tourists who documented what it was like to be on a "weekend trip that turned into survival mode in 24 hours"
Image credits: fionamichelle__
Image credits: fionamichelle__
Just another day in heaven
Image credits: fionamichelle__
Image credits: fionamichelle__
Until it suddenly wasn't
Image credits: fionamichelle__
Image credits: fionamichelle__
Image credits: fionamichelle__
Image credits: fionamichelle__
Image credits: fionamichelle__
Image credits: fionamichelle__
"They told me to get out of the room ASAP and head down to the beach immediately for safety"
Image credits: fionamichelle__
Image credits: fionamichelle__
Image credits: fionamichelle__
Image credits: fionamichelle__
Image credits: fionamichelle__
Everyone, including local residents with boats, hurried to help out panicking tourists
Image credits: fionamichelle__
Image credits: fionamichelle__
Image credits: fionamichelle__
Image credits: fionamichelle__
Image credits: fionamichelle__
Image credits: fionamichelle__
Things did not look pretty even after reaching safety on a nearby island
Image credits: fionamichelle__
Upon returning to land, Fiona and many other panicky tourists were transported by buses to the nearest available hotels with vacant rooms. The majority of them spent the night in conference rooms, event spaces, or lobbies, patiently waiting for their pre-scheduled flights back home.
For individuals like Fiona, this incident serves as a significant wake-up call. "While we are aware that global warming is a genuine threat to our planet and requires urgent action, it was only during that particular moment that I truly grasped the severity of global warming and how terrifying its consequences can be."
You can watch Fiona's survival video for yourself
Although the fires were eventually contained, almost 20,000 people, mostly tourists, were forced to flee hotels on Rhodes, the island worst affected by the fires, in a single day. The operation was described as "the biggest evacuation ever" carried out in Greece.
Tragically, at least five lives were lost, and approximately 50,000 hectares (124,000 acres) of forests and vegetation were destroyed, as reported by the Athens Observatory.
On Friday, the country’s senior climate crisis official said that most of the 667 blazes in Greece were surprisingly started “by human hand”.
“During this time, 667 fires erupted – that is more than 60 fires a day – almost all over the country," Vassilis Kikilias, the Greek minister of climate crisis and civil protection, told reporters.
“During this time, 667 fires erupted – that is more than 60 fires a day – almost all over the country," Vassilis Kikilias, the Greek minister of climate crisis and civil protection, told reporters.
"Unfortunately, the majority were ignited by human hand, either by criminal negligence or intent.”
Fiona and those impacted by the wildfires received a tremendous outpouring of support from people online
