Tourists have been told to combat wildfires raging through a holiday hostpot by closing “all the doors and windows” and remaining in place as thousands of people are evacuated.
Approximately 3,000 people and counting have been evacuated as wildfires sparked in the rugged forested terrain near the municipality of Ierapetra continue to rip through Crete, Greece. Following gale-force winds reaching up to eight on the Beaufort scale, the flames have now spread rapidly southward, threatening homes, tourist accommodation, and critical infrastructure.
The Greek ministry for Climate Crisis and Civil Protection has shared advice online offering advice for people caught in the destructive path of the forest fires, telling people to “remove the curtains from the windows” and shut themselves inside.
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A new evacuation warning has been issued for four regions as the blaze continues to spread through Crete.
Activation 1⃣1⃣2⃣
Wildfire in your area.
If you are in #Ferma, #Katharades, #Koutsounari & #Kakia_Skala, move away to #Ierapetra
Follow the instructions of the Authorities
Protective action guidlines https://t.co/S63M24Fq0V@pyrosvestiki…
As of this afternoon, aircraft are still departing and arriving into the island’s two major airports.
Heraklion International Airport in Crete and Chania International Airport are both based in the north of the island, while the fires are raging in the south.
Most major airlines include in their terms that they will put you on the next available flight should yours be cancelled.
However, it’s unlikely you’ll be compensated for the trouble in cases like wildfires, which are natural disasters and out of their control.
Each travel company has different rules for cancelling trips in the event of natural disaster – like the one tearing through Crete today.
If you’re booked to go to Crete any time soon, it’s worth getting in touch with the company providing your holiday to see if you’re able to postpone.
Companies are not obliged to give you a refund and travel insurance won’t necessarily pay out unless the Foreign Office decides to advise against all non-essential travel to the island.
However, some travel insurance companies do include natural disaster cover should a freak occurence prevent you from reaching your destination.
The Greek ministry for Climate Crisis and Civil Protection has shared advice online offering advice for people caught in the destructive path of the forest fires.
Authorities warn that if the fires have already reached your location: “Do not abandon the building unless your escape is completely secured.
“Do not take shelter in a car. The possibility of survival in a building constructed by non-flammable materials is greater than that inside a vehicle close to smoke and fire.
“If you stay indoors, close firmly all the doors and windows. Block up all the cracks with wet clothes, in order to prevent smoke penetration. Remove the curtains from the windows. Close all interior doors to slow down the fire spreading in the building.
“Fill up the bathtub, wash-basins and buckets so that you have spare water. Gather all together in one room. Keep a torch and spare batteries at hand in case of electric power failure.”
The region’s firefighting chief confirmed a huge emergency response has been sent to deal with the flames tearing through the Greek island of Crete.
He said the response consists of: “160 firefighters with 7 forest commando teams, 49 vehicles, an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle team and Volunteers are operating, while water tankers and construction machinery from the Region of Central Macedonia are providing assistance.”
The Greek Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection said in a statement posted today that the wildfire has come during the “third and most difficult month” of the season.
The agency said in a statement this morning: “We are entering the third and most difficult month of the fire season. July is historically characterized as the hottest month accompanied by strong winds.
“These conditions favor the spread of fires and increase their danger.”
Δασική πυρκαγιά στην περιοχή #Αρχάγγελος της Περιφερειακής Ενότητας #Λακωνίας
Αν βρίσκεστε στην περιοχή #Αρχάγγελος απομακρυνθείτε προς #Δαιμονιά
Ακολουθείτε τις οδηγίες των Αρχών
https://t.co/kexUnloeCt@pyrosvestiki@hellenicpolice
The UK Foreign and Commonwealth and Development Office has updated its advice to British tourists holidaying on the fire-scorched island.
In an update, the FCDO said: “Be cautious if you are in or near an area affected by wildfires:
“For further information, see Greece’s Civil Protection website (in Greek).”
Greek officials say a huge number of evacuees are currently being sheltered in makeshift accommodation.
Civil defence official Giorgos Tsambakis told the country’s national broadcaster, ERT: “We have accommodated around 1,500 people in other hotels and in a sports hall.”
Local officials have shuttered major roads and told locals and tourists to avoid any non-essential travel due to the intense heat and hazardous air quality.
The region has been blanketed in a thick layer of smoke, which has reached beaches several miles from the fire.
Greece has launched a huge emergency response after wildfires tore through the popular British holiday hotspot of Greece overnight.
Over 2,700 personnel from multiple agencies have been dispatched to the region, backed by eight firefighting planes, 12 helicopters, and a fleet of fire trucks and specialized equipment.
A number of X users have shared images of their phone screens showing the emergency alerts sent to their mobile phones yesterday.
Huge clouds of smoke rising above the southern part of Crete, filmed from Agios Nikolaus on the north coast, presumably from wildfires. We received an emergency alert on phones earlier today warning of wildfires near Agia Fotia. #wildfires #greece #crete pic.twitter.com/SEtexCICGB
Authorities have issued evacuation orders for multiple settlements, including Achlia, Agia Fotia, Galini, Ferma, and Koutsounari. In these affected areas, emergency responders have worked tirelessly to move residents and visitors to safety.
The evacuees have been relocated to temporary shelters, including an indoor basketball arena in Ierapetra and various hotels across other parts of the island.
Heraklion, on the island of Crete, is expected to reach highs of 29C today according to the Met Office weather forecast. It predicts highs of 37C on Tuesday and Wednesday next week.
“It’s a very difficult situation. The fire is very hard to contain. Right now, they cannot contain it,” Nektarios Papadakis, a civil protection official at the regional authority, told the Associated Press.
“The tourists who were moved out are all ok. They have been taken to an indoor basketball arena and hotels in other regions of the island.”
Tourists were seen fleeing villas and holiday homes in eastern Crete. Videos from the Greek island show the mayhem as holidaymakers attempt to get onto transport away from the raging fire.
Families with their suitcases can be seen getting into cars and buses while a raging fire lights up a hill in the background, which a local weather station described as “raging out of control” as the wildfire spread up to the shoreline near Ierapetra.
BREAKING: A massive evacuation is underway in Ferma, Ierapetra, on the Greek island of Crete, as an out-of-control wildfire nears hotels, rental rooms, and homes. Authorities have ordered the area cleared for safety.pic.twitter.com/Jg0VO78WKM
At least four elderly people have been taken to hospital with respiratory problems caused by smoke inhalation. As a precaution, all hospitals in Crete have been placed on alert by health authorities, BBC reports.
As of Wednesday night, 155 firefighters, eight specialised foot teams, and 38 fire engines are operating on the ground. Four helicopters also carried out water drops until nightfall. Local municipalities have also deployed water tankers and heavy machinery.
According to public broadcaster ERT, the fire service has ordered a tactical withdrawal from the fire front to protect personnel and prioritise the creation of firebreaks around at-risk settlements.
Crews are expected to remain on the ground throughout the night.
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