A Fife dad has spoken of his family’s wildfire emergency evacuation ordeal just six hours after arriving on the Greek holiday island of Kos.
Steven Roe, from Dunfermline, had only arrived at the holiday town of Kardamena with his wife Tracy and daughter Amelia earlier that day before the drama unfolded.
Thousands of holidaymakers and locals were forced to evacuate as raging wildfires reached the outskirts of the town.
Steven, who works for an indoor agricultural firm, told The Courier the resort was closed down as the evacuation swung into action.
He said: “We’d received a first warning in the afternoon but there wasn’t much concern locally.
“Once we received a second warning there definitely seemed to be a lot more of a danger.
“We knew it was serious when we tried to go into a restaurant and all the bars and restaurants were either already closed or shutting up.
‘Ash fell all around us’
“Then we were told we were to be evacuated from the hotel as concerns grew.
“Once outside we could see the smoke billowing above the rooftops of nearby buildings and that’s when it became quite scary.
“Ash was also starting to fall all around us which was another indication the fires were getting closer.
“It was not just scary for us but also for the locals whose homes and businesses were suddenly at serious risk.
“I just tried to remain as calm as possible given the circumstances as I didn’t want to panic my wife and daughter.”
Evacuation centres, including a school and a football stadium, were soon set up.
He added: “I heard people say it was chaos but we felt the local people really tried hard to make sure everyone remained safe.
“There was a real sense of fear that people’s livelihoods could be lost if the fires reached the town.
“We watched as three planes and a helicopter repeatedly drew water from the sea before flying over the fire and dropping it from height onto the flames.
“Locals with diggers worked tirelessly to create a fire break to stop the spread.”
Kindness
Steven and his family were taken to the school, where they were given essentials including blankets and water, and slept in a classroom overnight.
The Fifer, a regular visitor to Kos for more than 30 years, was quick to praise both the emergency response and the kindness of locals.
“They couldn’t do enough for us,” he said.
“Some people may have complained but you really have to remember there were firefighters up in the hills battling the blaze all night.”
The family returned to their hotel the following morning, with Steven adding: “We are only here for a week so hopefully now the drama is over with and we can enjoy the rest of our holiday on this great island.”
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