Newark resident Steve Watson was on holiday with his family in Rhodes when wildfires prevented them from leaving
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00:00 So this is our third move, as you can see in the background there, smoke's up.
00:07 We're not sure how far it is away, the police have come down and said they want us to evacuate,
00:14 but maybe it's belt and braces.
00:17 Now some people say, well surely they would know, surely they would know,
00:21 they've been over cautious each time, so people keep paying out all their money for their hotels and everything else,
00:27 and then we just move away and then you're back to... I don't know.
00:32 So what we're going to do is just find out a little bit more information.
00:37 It sounded a bit selfish about the money, it wasn't about that at all.
00:41 It was the fact that you get settled, the locals are not worried.
00:45 So in my mind, if the locals are not worried, then we should be okay.
00:50 I mean that's a good two, three, four miles away.
00:53 And it's smoke, the smoke drifts, so whether they're thinking it's a case that it's nearer than it really is, we're not sure.
01:02 But we'll wait and see and they'll keep you up posted.
01:06 As the smoke way, way, way in the distance there, helicopters are up, they're dropping the water.
01:16 I'll just zoom in for you.
01:19 I mean like I say, it doesn't look far away, but it is.
01:23 We've just had another report come through, an alert, which basically said evacuate, but that's because of the smoke.
01:33 That's nothing to do with the fire itself.
01:36 As I've said, there's a lot of belt and braces here, which is good, you can't knock them for that.
01:42 But there isn't anywhere else to go, all the hotels are fully booked up, so we've either got to stay here or get on the road and walk or get a taxi, if you can get a taxi, and take it to where? Who knows?
02:00 Okay, right, so a bit of an update.
02:05 I've just got back to the hotel and unfortunately we've asked for a taxi, but no taxis are willing to actually get here.
02:12 These guys are standing behind me at the moment, but yeah, it's going to be a free for all world, Jesus.
02:19 So now it just shows you things have changed on a six-minute drive.
02:24 People come back, the panic has now set in.
02:27 We've now decided that we're going to be evacuated, so we're going to be evacuated to wherever.
02:34 We're going to do our usual, we're going to grab a taxi and get to the safest place we can.
02:41 Because these guys, they just seem to go en masse and then you have hundreds of people there and it's like bloody chaos.
02:48 It's interesting, that little group of people, they're on their phones with their bosses and everything else.
02:55 They've got an evacuation plan and their one is, they're going to bring the boats in, everyone's going to leave by boat.
03:01 And you've got somebody saying, well, you know, the coaches are coming.
03:05 Again, you know, nobody knows exactly what the deal is.
03:09 So, I don't know, but behind me, you know, you can see, you'll be able to see that smoke.
03:15 You know, the wind's blowing this way, you know, in our direction.
03:19 So, they are right, you know, to be panicking, which is fine, but do it calmly.
03:27 You've got to get the communications together because nobody, no matter who you talk to, nobody knows who is doing what.
03:34 You can see in the background, I mean, somebody's actually, the receptionist is giving them some information.
03:41 But they basically say it is, it's only about the smoke at the moment, so there's no real issue.
03:47 But they do have an evacuation plan, which is good.
03:50 They'll get the buses, the buses will come, pick us up and move us to wherever that next destination is going to be.
03:57 But at the moment, no panic, even though if you look at the smoke heading this way, it's the wind, to be honest.
04:03 It's the wind driving everything this way.
04:06 We come from south to north and that wind is blowing like a good, almost like it's chasing us, thanks.
04:14 That little group there, these are the workers that actually work at the hotel.
04:18 So, I'll find out what's going on and see what the deal is.
04:23 It just seems that they're waiting for information to come through from their bosses.
04:29 So, if that happens, then I'll let you know what the deal is.
04:34 Everybody's starting to get frantic now because it's like, how are they going to get to the locals?
04:41 It's clearly their evacuation plan.
04:44 Personally, I think they've left it far too late.
04:48 There's no signs of anything really.
04:52 Oh, good news, we managed to get a taxi. Now, we're not actually going to Rhodes.
04:57 That gentleman there, hey, how you doing?
05:00 He's taking us to the next village, to safety.
05:04 So, I don't know, I mean, look at this, if you look in the distance when you see it, it is the smoke.
05:12 That's what they're worried about because it's coming down all around now.
05:17 They've actually issued us with masks, so we've got masks here we can put on.
05:22 But, yeah, crazy days.
05:26 Happy anniversary, darling.