Jersey Family Flees Greek Wildfires

A Jersey mum and her family have left their luggage behind as guests at their hotel are told to leave due to wildfire flames spreading alarmingly close.

Lucy Le Boutillier, her husband and two children were holidaying as the fires took hold around the northeast of the island.

She told us, at first, hotel staff and holiday reps were calm about the situation.

"The forest fires started in the middle of last week but we started seeing the smoke on Thursday or Friday, I've lost track of the days now."

On Saturday (22 July), the wildfire worsened near the hotel they were staying at, but the family remained calm.

"We decided to pack our suitcases and be ready because we began hearing that a town 10 minutes away from our resort had been evacuated."

But Lucy says that the situation began to deteriorate quickly.

"At 10 pm that evening when darkness came down we could see the flames at the back of our hotel and that's when we knew it was serious.

"Then there was an announcement just to run to the beach or go to the road and walk for three hours down to the south of the island.

"We left our luggage, we just took what we were standing up in and our backpacks. We began walking south before an army truck came past and picked me & my family up and dropped us at another hotel."

The fire behind a hotel in Rhodes/Credit: Lucy Le Boutillier

Lucy and her family are now taking refuge in a primary school in the north of the island, with others who have had to leave their hotels and homes.

Greek authorities say at least 19,000 people have been moved.

Lucy is now waiting to be told when she can get back to Jersey.

"We originally had our flight booked to come back on Tuesday, but it seems like it's just blow after blow.

"We've just been told that having a flight booked means nothing, it's a case of the reps saying when there's a flight. One has said there's a flight to Germany who wants to go?

"We want to stay together. We don't want to be split up on the way home.

"We're just hoping we can get home on our flight tomorrow. A family next to us got woken up at 2 am for a flight to Manchester."

She says her two children are struggling.

"My eldest understands, but my youngest is really struggling. We're trying to keep a brave face on for her.

"She just keeps saying: 'Mummy, I just want to go home,' I don't think she understands why we can't just go to the airport and go home."

Jersey's government says it is 'engaging' with UK colleagues to ensure help is offered to stranded islanders.

It also says that those in Rhodes should follow the advice from the British government.

If you are a British national affected by wildfires in Rhodes, please follow the guidance from the emergency services. Call the Greek Emergency Services on 112 if you are in immediate danger. pic.twitter.com/O35KiYDbFj

— Government of Jersey (@GovJersey) July 23, 2023

You can find up-to-date advice here.