FACING THE FLAMES

Expert who tackled past inferno reveals firefighters' nightmare

- EMMELINE SAUNDERS

FIREFIGHTERS on Rhodes and Corfu face 6m flames, exhaustion from 80C heat, and 1,000C "fire whirls" that cannot be put out, an expert has warned.

Craig Hope, a UK wildfire tactical adviser with South Wales Fire and Rescue, was part of a 20-strong team deployed to Greece in August 2021 when 40km fires broke out in Peloponnese, 100 miles southwest of Athens.

He said tired firefighters will be experiencing the stench of charred pine mixed with choking smoke. He recalled: "You've got hot ground, it's smoky and the wind can be high, especially as the fire creates its own microclimate as it burns.

"In situations like Rhodes, we'll always post a lookout to spot the signs of danger while we're working in forests, as dead wood can fall at any time if their roots have been damaged by fire."

Other dangers, such as "firenados", can start spontaneously if conditions are right. These spirals of flame become larger and hotter as they pull in oxygen.

They can also start moving downhill, spinning and pulling in more debris that can be used as fuel.

Lindon Pronto, a senior fire expert at the European Forest Institute, explained that some wildfires are unstoppable.