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Authorities in Greece have issued fresh evacuation orders for parts of Corfu as wildfires erupted on the island. Fires in Rhodes have already forced 19,000 people to leave their homes as holidaymakers said they walked for miles in scorching heat to reach safety. "The smoke was coming. So we all set off on foot. I walked 12 miles (19 km) in this heat yesterday. It took me four hours," British tourist Chris Freestone told the Reuters News Agency. Sea evacuations have now begun from a beach in Corfu to transport individuals fleeing from the fires on the island. Around 59 people were evacuated from Nissaki Beach on the northwest coast, the Greek Coast Guard has said. The evacuation was carried out using six coast guard vessels and nine private vessels. People in Santa, Megoula, Porta, Palia Perithia and Sinies were told to evacuate to Kasiopi due to the raging fires. The Greek government’s Emergency Communication Service has said: “In Rhodes, the Civil Protection forces continue to fight the flames non-stop. Since the first light of day, 10 aircraft, and 8 helicopters, of which 2 are coordinating, have taken off and are operating consecutively. “Regarding the ground forces, there are 266 firefighters, 16 groups of infantry departments, 49 firefighting water vehicles, as well as hundreds of volunteers who support the efforts of the firefighters.” As the wildfires rage on, here is everything you need to know about how a wildfire evacuation protocol works What is a wildfire? The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) describe a wildfire as: “Any unplanned and uncontrolled wildland fire that, regardless of ignition source, may require suppression response or other action according to agency policy.” How long does a wildfire last? The National Operational Guidance (NOG) has said a wildfire will burn over a period of time in areas that provide the space over which the fire can move. The NOG said the behaviour of the wildfire is dependent on a number of variables, these include: “its movement across the landscape” which “brings instability within the fire environment caused by changes to the available fuel” as well as “its combustibility and arrangement, the shape of the topography and the effects of weather.” According to the Guinness World Records, the longest wildfire was the Chinchaga Fire in 1950 which grew out of control and ended five months later on 31 October in Alberta - in that time, it burned approximately 1.2 million hectares (3 million acres) of boreal forest. When should you evacuate? According to Readyforwildfire.org, people should leave as soon as an evacuation is recommended by emergency services. Make sure you leave as soon as you receive the news and do not wait for authorities to come to you or to be ordered directly by authorities to leave. “Evacuating the forest fire area early also helps firefighters keep roads clear of congestion, and lets them move more freely to do their job. In an intense wildfire, they will not have time to knock on every door. If you are advised to leave, don’t hesitate,” readyforwildfire.org has said on its website. Here are some steps you can take: Emergency services will know exactly which areas will need to be evacuated and which escape routes you can take, so be on high alert. Be sure to follow the orders authorities give you. Always stay informed, you can do this by checking the latest on your phone, on social media, radio or television. Officials may direct you to a temporary assembly point, where you will be transferred to a safe location. Readyforwildfire.org has said on its website that people should not return to their homes until fire officials determine it is safe. “Notification that it is safe to return home will be given as soon as possible considering safety and accessibility,” it added. Does the UK government help if you’re affected by a crisis abroad? The official government website has said the help the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) can give may be limited. It said before you travel you should: Make sure you are covered by travel insurance. Find out if your holiday is financially protected and what your flights are during your holiday. There has been a Crisis Management Unit set up to respond to the situation in Rhodes. They can be contacted at +30 210 368 1730 / +30 210 3681259 / +30 210 3681350. However, people have been advised to contact their airline or travel operator who can assist with a return to the UK. The government website has also said during hot temperatures, people should take extra caution and follow NHS guidelines on how to cope during hot weather. What have airlines said? Jet2 and Tui have cancelled all flights to Rhodes. The Jet2 planes were scheduled to depart full of tourists bound for the Greek island. But the planes were empty and will be used to evacuate holidaymakers fleeing the blaze. On Sunday (23 July), Jet 2 put out a statement on Twitter and said they are “keeping the situation under constant review”. In its full statement, the airline said: “The situation in Rhodes continues to evolve quickly and our absolute priority is the health, safety and well-being of customers and colleagues in the affected areas. We can confirm that: Our in-resort teams are working hard to comply with the guidance of local authorities, and we are continuing to bring more customer helpers and local authorities colleagues to the area.” The airline said it will continue to ask customers in affected areas to follow the advice of the local authorities, as well as “staff in their hotels” It said it was “contacting customers as quickly as possible. The statement continued: “Due to these extraordinary circumstances, we have cancelled all flights and holidays that are due to depart to Rodes up to and including Sunday 30th July. We believe this is the right thing to do for everything, and we will be contacting affected customers with regard to their refund or rebooking options. “We will fly those aircraft to Rhodes with no customers on board so that we can continue to bring customers back to the UK on their scheduled flights.” TUI has also put out a statement and said their teams are “working hard with local authorities in Greece to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all our customers currently on holiday in Rhodes and impacted by the wildfires.” Read More Greece wildfires: Holiday and travel advice as Jet2 and Tui flights cancelled amid extreme weather UK airlines still selling tickets to Rhodes despite wildfire inferno Greece fires – live: Corfu evacuations begin as tourists fleeing Rhodes inferno spend second night in airport How long will the wildfires last in Greece? Where are the fires in Corfu and Rhodes? Map reveals Greece wildfires Michael Gove going on holiday to Greek island currently being evacuated

An easyJet pilot has told tourists that flying to Rhodes is a “terrible idea” just minutes before taking off, it has been reported, as wildfires spread across Greece. Journalist Gwyn Loader, who was on the flight to the island to report for BBC Wales' Welsh-language news programme Newyddion, said eight passengers subsequently decided to disembark, including a young boy who was in tears. The pilot told passengers over the Tannoy: “Travelling to Rhodes for a holiday at the moment is a terrible idea.” They continued: “As far as I’m concerned, this flight is being operated on an emergency basis. Return flights are now being managed by the military. If you want to get off the flight, you are welcome to do so.” After the blaze in Rhodes prompted “the biggest evacuation” in Greek history, Crete is at “extreme risk” of raging wildfires, while around 2,500 people have already been evacuated from Corfu, which has been enduring dozens of blazes. Jet2 and Tui cancelled all flights to Rhodes until Friday 28 July, while up to 10,000 British tourists are feared to be on the island, a minister has warned. The Independent has approached easyJet for comment. Read More Where are the fires in Corfu and Rhodes? Map reveals Greece wildfires Wildfires on Greek island of Rhodes force thousands of holidaymakers to evacuate Hiker, 71, dies in Death Valley shortly after being asked by reporter why he was braving heat: ‘Why not?’ July 2023 is set to be world’s hottest month in ‘hundreds, if not thousands, of years’

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Before 25-year-old Carlee Russell went missing for a mysterious 49 hours – a disappearance, she admitted on Monday, that was staged – she posted a series of bizarre tweets. On the day she went “missing” on 13 July, she tweeted at 8.55pm: “today was a GREAT day God be looking out im telling you!!” One minute later, Ms Russell wrote: “someone to tell you ‘i love you’ and don’t got a reason.” Finally, she tweeted, “yeah i want a family now” at 9.19pm. Just moments later, around 9.30pm, the Alabama woman called 911 and told detectives that she was following a lost toddler along the interstate. After she returned home, Ms Russell claimed was abducted by a man with “orange hair,” before escaping. She later turned up on foot at her parent’s home with $107 tucked in her right sock, and alleged she had barely survived the encounter. Her tweets, in combination with her search history prior to her vanishing, raised doubts about the Alabama woman’s story. Police revealed that Ms Russell’s internet search history gave hints she could have staged her own kidnapping, as she looked up Amber Alerts, the movie Taken, booking a bus ticket from Birmingham to Nashville and “how to take money from a register without being caught.” A tweet on 10 July adds colour to this complicated picture, and indicates potential problems in her relationship. Ms Russell wrote, “I always say one thing i WONT do is stay with someone who cheated on me like you went and had sex with someone else and think it’ll be sweet one day?? hellll no.” Days earlier, she also tweeted: “everyone wants to feel wanted.” Her boyfriend, Thomar Latrell Simmons, had posted on Facebook upon Ms Russell’s miraculous return, and supported her story that she had been abducted. She had been “fighting for her life for 48 hours,” he wrote, but has since taken down the post. Two days earlier, her tweet revealed she may have been unhappy at work: “my job is really starting to get on my dang nerves.” She worked at Woodhouse Spa, the owner of which said on Thursday that he provided the police with “everything we uncovered.” According to the New York Post, Ms Russell tweeted on 19 July, “I’m thankful I know how to identify when the enemy coming for me now, makes life a lot easier.” But the post has been taken down. Police began expressing their doubts last week, saying Wednesday they were “unable to verify” most of Ms Russell’s claims regarding the events leading up to and during her disappearance. Read More Carlee Russell – latest: Confusion reigns over ‘kidnapping’ case after missing woman’s search history revealed Carlee Russell claimed she was kidnapped by a man with orange hair. Police say they can’t verify any of it Carlee Russell’s internet searches suggest she staged her own kidnapping, Alabama police say

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