As a lot of Europe continues to bake in a relentless heatwave, with temperatures exceeding 40°C throughout nations together with France, Spain and Portugal, the threat of wildfires rises exponentially.
On Tuesday 31 July, a blaze broke out north-west of the Greek metropolis of Thessaloniki at roughly 14:30, with BBC News reporting at the time of writing (11.00 GMT) that two individuals had died close to a village destroyed by the blaze in Liti.
More than 100 firefighters, outfitted with dozens of hearth engines and no less than seven plane, battled the flames, reporting that a girl was rescued with burn accidents.
The International Business Times reported that, along with the loss of life, round 4,000 residents had been pressured to evacuate the nearest village in the latest wildfires in Greece.
The wildfires come as Thessaloniki continues to expertise excessive temperatures, with highs of 36°C forecast in the coming weeks.
The most up-to-date wildfires in northern Greece come after the launch of the nation’s world-leading satellite tv for pc expertise designed to detect and monitor wildfires. Created by OroraTech, the Hellenic Fire System consists of 4 devoted wildfire-monitoring satellites for Greece, launched on SpaceX rockets from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California forward of the 2026 summer season season.
Is it secure to journey to Greece?
The UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) notes that wildfire threat in Greece will increase throughout the summer season months, primarily between April and October. Travellers are inspired to not depart any litter, particularly glass, as it may possibly set off blazes, to make sure that cigarettes are correctly extinguished, and to chorus from igniting barbecues.
If a hearth of any sort is noticed whereas travelling by Greece, the emergency companies quantity is 112. Further data and steerage may be discovered on Greece’s Civil Protection website.
Which airways have cancelled flights to Greece?
At the time of writing, no airways have cancelled or plan to cancel flights to mainland Greece or the islands as a outcome of the most up-to-date wildfires.
Will my journey insurance coverage cowl wildfires?
A majority of journey insurance coverage insurance policies cowl pure disasters such as floods, earthquakes and wildfires as commonplace. In the occasion of damage, the GHIC (Global Health Insurance Card) covers British travellers for state healthcare that can’t moderately wait till they return to the UK.