Tourists warned of ‘particularly dangerous’ summer as fires rage in Crete and Kos

On the island of Serifos, in the Western Cyclades, firefighters contained a fire that started in low vegetation on June 29 but spread due to intense winds. The fire damaged homes, storehouses and holiday cottages.

As well as the wildfires on the islands, there have been two severe wildfires reported south of Athens.

How can I see where exactly the fires are?

Google Maps is a helpful resource for tracking the location of wildfires. While not 100 per cent accurate, the company uses a combination of SOS alerts, satellite sources and public alerts to draw an outline of the affected area. It also gives an estimate of how many acres have been burnt.

Google advises that the impacted areas are approximate, and advises users to check official sources for more information.

Which Greek islands had the worst wildfires last year?

In 2023, severe wildfires raged across Greece and other parts of the Mediterranean, forcing the evacuation of thousands of tourists on popular holiday islands including Rhodes, Evia and Corfu.

Rhodes was particularly badly hit. The island declared a state of emergency, and Jet2 and Tui cancelled flights to the island over safety concerns. Dozens of hotels across Rhodes – including in Kiotari, Gennadi, Plimiri, Lardos, Lindos, Pefkoi and Vlicha – were either directly affected or closed due to the wildfires last year.

Is it safe to travel to Greece?

It is important to remember that summer wildfires are common in Greece, and are usually brought under control by helicopters and planes which launch seawater over the affected area.

Following the record year for wildfires, Greece has started using drones for early warning detection of wildfires, with increased coordination between authorities and volunteer firefighters. 

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has not updated its advice to Greece. However, it does have existing advice on wildfires in the country.

The FCDO says: “There is a high risk of wildfires during the summer season from April to October,” and advises avoiding leaving litter (particularly glass), to ensure all cigarettes are properly extinguished, and not to light barbecues. Tourists are advised to call 112 if in immediate danger.

British holidaymakers are also advised to follow @112Greece on X (formerly Twitter) and to register for alerts from the Greek government’s Emergency Communication Service (in Greek).

I want to cancel my holiday – can I get a refund?

If you decide to cancel your package holiday within six weeks of departure, you will be subject to a 90 to 100 per cent cancellation charge. The exception is if the FCDO updates its advice to warn against all but essential travel to the destination – if this is the case, your tour operator is legally obliged to either bring you home or cancel the trip and issue a full refund.

If you have booked your flights and accommodation independently, you will need to turn to your holiday insurance if you are unable to travel safely due to a wildfire.