Forest fires on Crete: What's the current situation? What holidaymakers need to know
The start of the peak holiday season on the Greek island of Crete was overshadowed by severe forest fires. On Wednesday, July 2, a major fire broke out in the eastern part of the municipality of Ierapetra. Hotels and villages surrounding the town of Ierapetra had to be evacuated.
Strong winds caused the fire to spread quickly from agricultural land to residential areas. The Greek Civil Protection Agency urged people to leave the affected areas.
According to the Greek broadcaster ERT News, no active fire front was visible in the region east of Ierapetra on Friday morning. The fires were stabilized overnight.
The Ierapetra region is one of the most popular tourist destinations on Crete. In the meantime , 5,000 people had to be evacuated to safety, including numerous tourists. A sports hall in Ierapetra was opened as emergency accommodation. Other vacationers were temporarily taken to hotels in surrounding areas. The flames spread rapidly with the strong winds, and the fire front was split into three active fires, reported the Greek news channel ERT News.
However, Greece is currently battling the next heat wave: people can expect temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius in the second week of July. A significant drop in temperature is not expected until Thursday, July 10. The fire risk remains high.
Meanwhile, the scale of the destruction is already enormous. The region resembles a "war zone": burned houses, destroyed farms, damaged businesses, and large areas of nature lie in ruins, according to media reports. According to "Radio Lashi," 6,000 hectares and more than 20,000 olive trees were destroyed, while the irrigation network has been damaged for over 100 kilometers. The power supply in the region was also temporarily paralyzed.
The forest fire that broke out in the Lasithi region of Crete was brought under control on July 4, 2025.
Source: IMAGO/Anadolu Agency
The entire eastern part of the municipality of Ierapetra, including Makry Gialos and Agios Ioannis , has been declared an emergency area by government decision until October 2, 2025. This is intended to facilitate the best possible support for the affected people on site.
Travelers planning a vacation to Crete are now asking themselves many questions: Can my vacation go ahead? Is cancellation free of charge? We answer the most important questions.
The major fire affected several towns on the southern coast of the Lasithi regional unit: Ferma, Agia Fotia, Achlia, Galini and Koutsounari.
According to the Greek Civil Protection, there is a high fire risk in many regions of Greece on Monday, July 7. The following areas are particularly affected:
- Attica, Euboea, Boeotia, Phthiotis and Phocida
- Aitoloakarnania, Arta, Preveza and Thesprotia
- Argolis, Corinthia, Ilia, Messinia and Laconia
- Thessaloniki, Kilkis, Halkidiki and Mount Athos
- Parts of Arcadia, Achaia, Larissa, Magnesia, Ioannina and Serres
- The Dodecanese Islands, especially Rhodes
The authorities warn of increased risk of forest fires and call for caution.
Travelers should definitely check before departure whether there are any fires near their holiday destination. If so, they should contact their tour operator.
Anyone currently in the area or planning to travel there should regularly check the current situation, for example via local media such as “ERT News”, civil protection websites or their accommodation!
The Federal Foreign Office writes in its travel and safety advice on Greece : “Especially in the summer months, numerous bush and forest fires occur in Greece due to the prevailing climatic conditions.” In these cases, disruption to the infrastructure, including in tourist areas, must be expected.
Forest fires are considered extraordinary circumstances. However, there are legal differences between package tours and individual tours. With package tours, travelers can withdraw from the travel contract free of charge under certain circumstances. "The tour operator must then refund the price," travel lawyer Paul Degott told reisereporter.
The forest fire that broke out in the Lasithi region of Crete was brought under control on July 4, 2025.
Source: IMAGO/Anadolu Agency
However, package holidaymakers can only invoke exceptional circumstances if the forest fires are in the immediate vicinity of the holiday destination and there are concrete disruptions such as ash rain or evacuation.
Anyone already on Crete who is suddenly affected by the fires can cancel their trip early with their tour operator. The additional costs for the early return trip must then be split between the traveler and the tour operator, according to Degott. There are also claims for reductions.
Travelers who aren't starting their vacation for a few weeks should wait and see how the fires develop at their destination. Degott says that mere fear of wildfires doesn't justify a free cancellation. Furthermore, the right to free cancellation cannot be exercised if the fires are far away from the vacation destination.
Individual travelers must adhere to the terms and conditions of their flight and booked accommodation. These should outline cancellation options. Often, if a flight is operating and accommodation is available, cancellations cannot be made free of charge.
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