Residents on the Greek island of Rhodes joined the fight against wildfires - beating back the encroaching flames with shovels, tree branches and towels.<br /><br />The wildfire forced evacuations as strong winds and successive heatwaves left scrubland and forests tinder-dry.<br /><br />Around 20,000 people - including residents and tourists - had to leave homes and hotels on the island over the weekend as the fires reached coastal resorts on the island’s southeast.<br /><br />Rhodes, one of Greece’s biggest islands, is among its top summer destinations, attracting about 1.5 million foreign tourists in the summer months.
