‘I have nothing left’: Rhodes stable owner picks up the pieces after wildfire destroys livelihood
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Dimitris has lost everything.
Until Saturday, he owned a stable. Now all that’s left is ash.
The building and cars have been decimated. In minutes, wildfires destroyed everything he had worked for.
“I lost my life. I don’t care about the money because this was my life… now we have nothing,” he says.
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Dimitris is based in Kiotari, on the Greek island of Rhodes.
It’s one of the resorts which had to be evacuated over the weekend.
When the fires swept in, he managed to rescue the horses, but it was too late to save the chickens. They burned along with everything else.
Model horses at Dimitris’ stable which was destroyed by wildfires
“I cried when I saw it the first time. I cried, and I’m not the only one,” he says.
Many here have lost so much. Jobs, businesses, and livelihoods are all at risk.
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Apostolos Karagiannis and his staff managed to limit the damage at their hotel and contain the fire to a small area at the poolside.
He says again they’re ready for business, but there’s no guarantee the tourists will come back.
“If we don’t have clients, the hotel will close,” he says.
In the peak season, he explains, Rhodes welcomes 200,000 visitors a day.
While huge swathes of the island remain unaffected, it’s an income no-one can afford to lose.
This fire season has already taken so much from Greece.
Flames burn a forest in Vati village on Rhodes Pic: AP
On Evia, two air force pilots died after their plane crashed as they helped to fight the blazes.
On Rhodes, flames are still forcing people from their homes and leaving many questioning their futures. But they aren’t giving up.
Greece has declared war on these fires, and they will continue to fight until they win.