Wildfires in Europe are sweeping across some of the continent’s best-loved destinations – causing destruction, health risks and, in some extreme cases, reports of deaths. The fires, which started in mid-July 2023 as a European heatwave took hold, also spread at the peak of the summer holiday travel season, causing disruption to holidaymakers and profoundly impacting the tourism industry. Below, we look at which countries and areas have been most affected and what this means for those who have already booked to travel to Europe.
Where are the wildfires in Europe?
At the time of writing (Friday 6 October), there are wildfires in Tenerife. 3,000 people have been evacuated from their homes after wildfires broke out on Wednesday 4 October. The fires are mainly in the north-east of the island.
Earlier in the summer, Mediterranean countries were among those most affected – fires blazed in Croatia, Portugal, Greece, Spain, Italy and Algeria, among others. Thousands of people were evacuated across these countries, including holidaymakers, and airlines put on repatriation flights to some of the destinations most affected, including the Greek islands. In Sicily, temperatures of 47.6C were recorded, and the extreme weather and fires caused deaths on the island. On Wednesday 16 August, more wildfires spread across Tenerife, resulting in a status yellow weather warning as temperatures continue to rise and could reach 34C over the next few days.
What’s causing Europe’s wildfires?
The three factors that impact the spread of fires are high temperatures, drought and high wind. Much of Mediterranean Europe experienced extreme heatwaves this summer, and while many factors can be the final spark that ignites a wildfire (campfires, lightning etc), hot temperatures are key.
What is the advice for those stranded in areas affected by wildfires?
The official government advice for those who are in areas affected by wildfires is as follows.
- Follow the guidance of the emergency services.
- Contact your airline or travel operator who can assist you with return travel to the UK.
- Enable the Emergency Alerts option to receive the local government’s emergency alerts. On iPhone, go to Settings > Notification and enable the “Emergency Alerts” option. On Android 11 and higher go to Settings > Notifications > Advanced Settings > Wireless Emergency Alerts.
Can I get a refund if I cancel my holiday because of the wildfires?
It depends. Some flights and package holidays to destinations that were severely affected by the wildfires were cancelled by tour operators; flights and holidays to Rhodes, for example, were cancelled by companies such as Tui until Friday 28 July. If your tour operator cancels your holiday or flight because of wildfires, you’ll be offered the chance to rebook or a refund.
However, flights and holidays to destinations which are not severely affected are likely to run as normal, and unless the FCDO have issued ‘do not travel’ advisories, insurance is unlikely to cover you if you choose to cancel your trip as it’s not deemed a necessity.