Wildfires in Greece 2025: Travel Alerts, Impacted Locations, and Safety Guidelines for Vacationers
In the heart of summer 2025, Greece is grappling with a devastating wildfire outbreak. Regions across the country, including Athens, Boeotia, portions of the Peloponnese, and wooded areas in central and southern Greece, are currently ablaze. Over 50 wildfires have been reported in the last 24 hours, with many still burning.
Areas around Athens, particularly the northern neighbourhood of Kryoneri, have been particularly hard hit. Reports of "total destruction" have come in from these regions. The fires have caused significant property damage and necessitated thousands of evacuations, but, as of the latest report, no recorded fatalities.
The Greek Civil Protection and the Indian Embassy in Athens have issued advisories for Indian tourists intending to visit Greece this summer. Travellers are recommended to download the "112 Greece" emergency app, carry their insurance and identity documents close at hand, and exercise caution.
Greece has reportedly improved its wildfire response capacity in 2025. With nearly 1,600 new firefighter hires, a total of 18,000 firefighters (including seasonal workers and forest rangers), 164 new firefighting trucks, and 85 aircraft, the country has seen a 34% reduction in the area burned so far this year compared to previous years.
However, the situation remains serious. The fires come just weeks after similar catastrophes in Turkey and Italy, raising concerns about the rising severity and frequency of climate-induced disasters during peak tourist season. The Greek government has declared the situation to be serious, citing intense heat, dry weather, and strong winds as contributory causes.
Travelers should remain vigilant and consult official sources for real-time updates before and during their visit. It is advisable to monitor official Greek government and embassy advisories closely, avoid fire-affected or fire-prone areas, follow local instructions regarding evacuations or travel disruptions, and register with their embassy or consulate when traveling in Greece for emergency updates.
Several coastal and rural locations in Greece are either unreachable or under evacuation warnings, despite international flights to major cities like Athens and Crete still operating. Thick smoke has caused air quality in several areas of central Greece to plunge to unsafe levels, particularly affecting people with respiratory disorders, young children, and elderly individuals. An emergency alert system providing real-time information to mobile phones in impacted areas has been introduced by the Greek Ministry for Climate Crisis and Civil Protection.
Under the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, European allies have dispatched expert teams and aircraft as reinforcements to help contain the fires. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has called for international cooperation and has stated that "every resource is being mobilised" in response to the wildfires. The Prime Minister of Greece, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, has described the wildfires as a "climate emergency".
Emergency services, including the military and aircraft, are working around the clock to contain the flames in Greece. Tour operators in the UK and Europe have already cancelled or redirected programs due to the wildfire situation in Greece. Official announcements encourage travellers to keep informed and reevaluate non-essential travel to central mainland regions. The wildfire situation in Greece is extremely volatile and could quickly alter based on weather patterns.
Sources: [1] Greek Reporter [2] Al Jazeera [3] BBC News [4] The Guardian
- The wildfires ravaging Greece in summer 2025, unfortunately, echo the recent climate-change induced catastrophes in Turkey and Italy, raising alarming questions within the realm of environmental-science and general-news about the rising severity and frequency of such disasters during peak tourist season.
- As policymakers gather to discuss strategies to mitigate climate-change, recent events in Greece underscore the urgent need for lifestyle changes and political decisions that prioritize sustainable practices to preserve our planet for future generations.
- The devastating wildfires in Greece have led to an influx of international support, with countries offering resources and reinforcements under the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, demonstrating unity and cooperation in the fight against climate-change and for the protection of our shared environment.
