Greece Wildfires 2026: Where Fires Are Burning & Safety

Greece wildfires have moved through several distinct flashpoints since late July. A deadly new fire near Athens and a wildfire on Kefalonia have since joined the earlier Crete and Lesvos fires, and five people have died in total.

Most of Greece and its islands remain unaffected right now, and the nationwide fire-risk level has just been lowered for the first time in weeks. This guide covers exactly where fires are burning today, how to check live risk, and what to do to stay safe.

Where are the Greece wildfires burning now?

Greece has moved from an acute, multi-fatality wildfire emergency in late July and early August into a calmer but still active stretch, with the nationwide risk level easing for the first time since late July. Earlier in the summer, fatal fires struck near Thessaloniki in late June and forced evacuations in Fthiotida, Mandra and Halkidiki in early July; all were brought under control within days and are unrelated to the fires below.

Crete: state of emergency easing in Rethymno

The Agios Vasileios municipality of Rethymno, on Crete’s south coast, remains under Civil Protection’s state of emergency declared on 30 July 2026, which stays formally in force until 29 October to support recovery. At its peak the fire front stretched more than 15 kilometres and gale-force winds gusting up to 125 km/h grounded most firefighting aircraft.

• About 8,000 residents and tourists were evacuated, including roughly 2,000 tourists moved out of the seaside village of Agia Galini.
• The fire has since eased, and the Agios Vasileios mayor has said the situation is stabilising, with evacuated residents and tourists beginning to return home.
• Two firefighters died when their vehicle was trapped by flames near Krya Vrysi. A third firefighter died responding to a separate fire near Gytheio in the Peloponnese.
• Heraklion, Chania and Rethymno’s historic old town, on the opposite coast, are unaffected and operating normally.

For the full breakdown of evacuated villages, airport status and what to do if you have a booking nearby, see Wego’s Crete wildfire and airport status guide.

Western Attica, Boeotia and Kefalonia: new fires since 31 July

A major wildfire broke out on 31 July near Porto Germeno and Psatha in Boeotia, west of Athens, and burned for five days before easing. Copernicus satellite mapping put the burned area across Attica and Boeotia at roughly 144,000 stremmas (about 14,400 hectares).

• Two firefighting helicopter crew members, a Greek and a Danish national, were killed on 2 August when their aircraft collided with another helicopter over the fire front at Psatha; a Greek and a British national on board survived.
• All Bell-model firefighting helicopters were grounded after the crash pending an investigation by Greek and US aviation authorities.
• A separate wildfire broke out overnight on 1 August near Pastra on the island of Kefalonia, prompting evacuation orders for the villages of Kateleios, Markopoulo and Kremmydi toward Argostoli.
• The Kefalonia fire has since subsided with no active front, though firefighters remain on site to guard against flare-ups.

Central Athens, Athens International Airport and the city’s tourist neighbourhoods have not been affected by the Attica fire — see Wego’s Athens wildfire status guide for the area-by-area detail.

Lesvos and Paros: both fires now extinguished

The wildfire near Plomari on the island of Lesvos, first reported on 29 July, is now fully extinguished after burning around 614 stremmas (roughly 61 hectares) of olive groves and pine forest. On the Cycladic island of Paros, the wildfire that forced multiple evacuations on 28 and 29 July was also brought fully under control, and Greek authorities have arrested four people, including the island’s mayor, in connection with its cause.

Rhodes, Halkidiki and Thessaloniki: no active fire

Rhodes has no active wildfire or evacuation order as of 7 August 2026, and Rhodes International Airport is operating normally — see Wego’s Rhodes wildfire status guide. Rhodes has stayed at a lower fire-risk category throughout the recent nationwide alerts, with its only 2026 incidents two small, same-day-contained fires in early July.

Halkidiki and Thessaloniki also have no active wildfire as of 7 August 2026. The most recent incidents there were contained within hours in early July, and Thessaloniki Airport has no wildfire-related notices; full detail is in Wego’s Halkidiki fires today guide.

New, smaller fires breaking out today

Even as the nationwide risk level eases, fresh fires are still igniting daily across Greece. None of the fires below has triggered a state of emergency, but conditions can change quickly.

• Skyros island: the most significant new blaze reported on 6-7 August, with ten water-dropping aircraft deployed to forest and agricultural land.
• Thessaly: a fire near Krini in the Farsala region, with 24 firefighters and three aircraft on scene and a precautionary mobile alert issued.
• Western Peloponnese: a fire near Aghia Marina drew 43 firefighters and three aircraft, while a separate blaze near Ariochori in Messinia is partially controlled.
• Western Greece and eastern Crete: smaller fires are also burning near Agrinio and near Karydi in the Siteia region of Crete, away from the earlier Rethymno fire.

Greece fire map and how to check live risk

There is no single Greece fire map that shows every flame in real time, so travellers should combine two official layers. Civil Protection publishes the next-day regional risk forecast, while EFFIS tracks active hotspots.

• Fire risk forecast: Greece’s Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection publishes a next-day fire risk map that rates each region from 1 (low) to 5 (extreme). As of 7 August 2026, most of central and southern Greece, the islands and Thrace are rated Category 3 (“high”), down from the sustained Category 4 (“very high”) alerts of late July and early August.
• Active fire tracking: the EU’s Copernicus European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS) maps active hotspots and burned areas across Europe, including Greece.

According to preliminary satellite estimates cited by WWF Greece, more than 180,000 stremmas (about 18,000 hectares) have burned across Crete, Paros, Boeotia and western Attica alone since late July, with the final figure expected to exceed 200,000 stremmas once mapping is complete. More than 10,000 residents and visitors have been evacuated across these fires combined.

Climate scientists have linked the hot, dry and windy conditions behind recent deadly wildfires in Greece, Türkiye and Cyprus to climate change, which a 2025 World Weather Attribution study found made this kind of fire weather roughly 10 times more likely.

Air quality and wildfire smoke

Even when you are far from the flames, wildfire smoke can drift across cities and coastlines and push air pollution to unhealthy levels. This is worth watching around the recovering fire zones in Attica, Crete and Kefalonia, and in any area under a high fire-risk warning.

Wildfire smoke carries fine particles (PM2.5 and PM10) that irritate the eyes, throat and lungs. If you are near a fire or in a smoky area, follow this general public-health guidance:

• Stay indoors where you can, and keep windows and doors closed.
• Set air conditioning to recirculate rather than draw in outside air.
• Wear a well-fitted FFP2 or KN95 mask if you must go outside in heavy smoke.
• Take extra care if you are older, pregnant, travelling with young children, or have heart or respiratory conditions.

You can check a live air-quality index for Greek cities before heading out.

Road, park and site closures

Wildfires and the response to them can close national parks, forests, hiking trails and roads at short notice. Authorities may bar entry to high-risk forest and woodland areas on days rated high or very high for fire danger.

• Evacuation zones around an active fire — such as the villages under 112 alerts near Skyros, in Thessaly or the western Peloponnese right now — are off-limits until the fire service stands them down.
• Communities recovering from the Rethymno, Attica/Boeotia and Kefalonia fires may also have local access restrictions while damage is assessed.

Because closures are decided locally and can change within hours, confirm the status of any specific park, trail, archaeological site or road with the local authority or your accommodation on the day, rather than relying on older information.

Greece wildfire safety: what travellers should do

Wildfires are highly dangerous and unpredictable, and the situation can change quickly. A little preparation goes a long way.

The checklist below draws on UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) advice for Greece and standard civil-protection guidance.

Should you cancel your trip to Greece?

For most travellers, no. Greece is a large country with hundreds of islands, and the vast majority of it has no active fire and no airport disruption right now.

If your trip involves Rethymno’s south coast, western Attica villages such as Psatha and Vilia, or Kefalonia, check the latest local status before you travel, as these communities are still recovering. If you are heading to Skyros or another area with a newly reported fire, treat plans as flexible until authorities confirm it is contained.

• Stay informed through official sources for your specific region.
• Keep your plans flexible if you are heading to an area with an active or recently active fire.
• Know what to do if a 112 alert reaches you.

If your specific destination is directly affected, contact your airline, such as Aegean Airlines, or your travel operator about your options, and check official advice before you change anything.

Frequently asked questions

Plan your Greece trip with confidence

Greece’s wildfire season calls for sensible preparation. Stay informed through official channels, set up 112 alerts, and keep your plans flexible if you are heading to a higher-risk region.

With those basics covered, you can enjoy everything the country offers while staying safe. When you are ready, compare flights to Greece and find hotels across Greece, including hotels in Athens, on Wego.

Sources

1. The Star / Xinhua — Greek authorities declare state of emergency as wildfire on Crete forces 8,000 evacuations (31 Jul 2026)
2. GreekReporter.com — Three firefighters die as wildfires rage across Greece, thousands evacuated on Crete (30 Jul 2026)
3. Greek City Times — Fire in Plomari, Lesvos: front remains active as strong winds hamper efforts (30 Jul 2026)
4. Keep Talking Greece — Mayor of Paros among those arrested for the wildfire (30 Jul 2026)
5. Keep Talking Greece — Very High Risk of Fire (Category 4) in several regions of Greece, valid 31 Jul 2026 (MAP)
6. Euronews — Wildfires: Europe on track for worst year on record as burned area reaches size of Luxembourg (29 Jul 2026)
7. UK FCDO — Greece safety and security, high wildfire risk April to October, 112 emergency number (updated 9 Jul 2026)
8. Greek Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection — daily fire risk map
9. Copernicus EFFIS — Greece wildfire statistics and active-fire mapping
10. World Weather Attribution (2025) — fire-weather behind Greece, Türkiye and Cyprus wildfires about 10 times more likely due to climate change
11. Al Jazeera — Firefighting helicopters collide, killing two, as Greece battles wildfires (2 Aug 2026)
12. Keep Talking Greece — Forest fire on Kefalonia leads to evacuations throughout the night (2 Aug 2026)
13. Keep Talking Greece — Civil Protection warns of Very High Fire Risk in Greece, Aug 5-6 (MAPs)
14. Neos Kosmos — Greece battles new fires as scale of summer devastation emerges (7 Aug 2026)
15. Wego Travel Blog — Crete Wildfire 2026: Rethymno Fire & Airport Status
16. Wego Travel Blog — Rhodes Wildfires 2026: Current Status & Travel Advice
17. Wego Travel Blog — Halkidiki Fires Today: 2026 Status & Travel Guide
18. Wego Travel Blog — Is It Safe to Travel to Athens Right Now? Wildfire Status 2026

Disclaimer: Wego strives to ensure all information presented in this article is accurate and up to date at the time of publication. Travel policies, prices, visa requirements, and conditions can change rapidly. We strongly recommend verifying critical details with official sources before making travel decisions. Wego does not accept liability for any inaccuracies, oversights, or changes that may occur after publication.