'It looks like No Man's Land in World War One'

MANCUNIAN HELPING ISLANDERS DEAL WITH IMPACT OF HORRIFIC FIRES

- NICOLE WOOTTON-CANE

IN THE devastating blazes of Rhodes's worst wildfires for decades, Alex Ochman is a long way from his Manchester home.

Most tourists have fled or been evacuated, scrambling to leave an island usually famed for its breathtaking beauty and captivating history. But locals have been forced to watch on as their home burned, leaving behind nothing but scorched destruction and lingering questions over the future of the island's tourist industry.

Unlike most holidaymakers, filmmaker Alex has stayed in Rhodes throughout the 'hellish' destruction of the last fortnight.

Camped out near Eleousa, where his girlfriend Kristina's family run a glamping-style business is, the pair have joined locals in assisting the relief efforts that will be so essential in Rhodes' recovery.

"Eleousa is a village that's pretty much been right at the forefront of where a lot of these fires have been," Alex, who grew up in Trafford and now lives in Didsbury, told the Manchester Evening News. "It's hard to imagine really, just hellish.