Wildfires on Crete Raise Concerns for Greece's Tourism-Dependent Communities

When a wildfire erupted on the Greek island of Crete this week, hotel owner Fanouris Vatsinas acted swiftly to relocate dozens of guests to safety. Despite the urgency, he found it difficult to leave the premises himself.

“But eventually,” he recalled, “the fire reached the hotel, and the firefighters came to evacuate me as well.”

Greece has faced a growing number of wildfires in recent years, prompting investments in firefighting resources and personnel. Nonetheless, blazes continue to emerge across both mainland and island regions, devastating vast tracts of farmland and unsettling the tourism-dependent economy. Images of charred landscapes now compete with the usual idyllic holiday photographs.

The latest fire on Crete ignited Wednesday afternoon and raged into Thursday across the rugged mountains near Ierapetra, a southeastern coastal town. Authorities evacuated approximately 1,500 people, most of whom were tourists. A prolonged heatwave has intensified dry conditions throughout southern Europe, causing fires to spread rapidly, often driven by strong winds.

Fortunately, no injuries or significant property damage have been reported on Crete, Greece’s largest island and a top destination for travelers. The island’s size helped mitigate the fire’s impact compared to smaller islands affected in recent years. In contrast, wildfires elsewhere in Greece have had deadly outcomes, including a 2023 blaze in northern Evros that claimed 20 lives and a 2018 fire east of Athens responsible for over 100 fatalities.

California native Kathy Kearns, visiting Crete for the sixth consecutive year, explained that she now schedules her vacations earlier in the year to avoid the peak heat and wildfire season.