Tour company TUI has cancelled trips to Rhodes as wildfires have forced thousands of tourists to flee.
Holidaymakers are seeking shelter in schools and sports stadia.
The coastguard and dozens of private boats have ferried more than 2,000 men, women, and children from flame-licked beaches.
Strong winds have fanned the fires along the tinderbox dry coastline.
TUI said in a statement:
“The situation in the Southern part of Rhodes remains volatile and challenging.
“Due to this and considering the impact on local communities being affected, TUI has decided to cancel all flights and booked holidays to Rhodes for departures up to and incl. Tue, 25 July.”
Thanasis Virinis, a vice mayor of Rhodes, said:
“We have between 4,000 and 5,000 people now accommodated at different structures.
Holidaymaker Dan Jones, from Torquay, said:
“We waded out into the sea and boarded a boat with my three children to escape the blaze.
“It was the scariest moment in my entire life.”
Paul Kalburgi, a British playwright, said he and his family fled the fire by foot while holding towels over their faces to avoid inhaling smoke.
“My youngest just told me he doesn’t want to die,” he wrote on Twitter.
The evacuation is the largest ever carried out in Greece with more than 30,000 people moved to safety.
Temperatures were expected to hit 45 Celsius (113 Fahrenheit). Heatwaves across Southern Europe and many parts of the world could last until August.
