Greece evacuates thousands of tourists in Rhodes as wildfire burns

A large wildfire tearing through the Greek island of Rhodes has forced thousands of tourists to evacuate their hotels, officials say.

The wildfire in the central and south part of Rhodes has been burning since Tuesday. It is the largest of a number of blazes in Greece, which is sweltering due to a heat wave that experts say is likely to become the country's longest on record.

Photos on Greek TV showed fires and smoke nearing properties and beaches in Rhodes and videos posted on social media show large groups of tourists evacuating hotels on foot.

An estimated 10,000 tourists were safely taken to the northern part of the island on Saturday, according to the Rhodes Hotel Association.

The association said on Greek TV that tourists from 12 hotels were transported by buses, on foot and by sea.

The coastguard told CNN on Saturday that four of its boats had assisted, as well as 20 private vessels.

Local fire officials said boats had evacuated about 2,000 people. They said the number of hotels that were ordered to evacuate account for less than 10% of the island's total tourist capacity.