A COCKERMOUTH family is on the way back to safety after having their holidays disrupted as a blaze sweeps across the Greek island of Rhodes. 

Corinne Watson, 42, alongside her husband and two sons, were waiting on the tarmac for an emergency flight out of the country this afternoon (July 24) after a 'challenging 48 hours'. 

British tourists have been sharing their accounts of the ongoing five-day fire that continues to cause chaos and terror. The situation has escalated as power cuts add to the turmoil.

Initially, the wildfire was limited to the island's mountains. However, the combination of strong winds, soaring temperatures, and arid conditions on Saturday facilitated its rapid spread towards the coast on the island's central-eastern side.

"We were evacuated into chaos and thanks to military boats were taken to safety," Mrs Watson said.

"After a challenging 48 hours we’re about to leave Rhodes thankfully."

Previously the mother-of-two's hotel had been accepting evacuees but as the blaze worsened, the hotel was deemed to be in the danger area.

"We only managed to bring some of our belongings and can’t get back to our hotel as it is in the danger area," Corinne said.

On social media, Corinne praised emergency services and volunteers for helping in an extremely difficult situation.

"The response of the Greek Military, Navy and Red Cross along with the young people manning the rescue centre or the volunteers driving people to safety has been phenomenal," she said.

The Foreign Office updated its foreign travel advice on the heatwaves and wildfires in Europe.

"If you are a British national affected by wildfires in Rhodes, please follow the guidance from the emergency services. Call the Greek emergency services on 112 if you are in immediate danger.

“The Greek government has established a crisis management Unit to facilitate the evacuation of foreign citizens from Rhodes. They can be contacted on +30 210 368 1730. For 24/7 British consular assistance, call +4420 7008 5000.

"If you are planning to travel to Rhodes, please check with your travel operator or hotel prior to travel that the area you plan to visit is not impacted by the current wildfires," they said.