Panic as wildfire rips across holiday hills
John and Shelley Hale, from Aldridge, say they were in Greece on a family holiday at the time.
A vacationer has recounted the "terrifying" experience of being forced to evacuate to the coast as rapidly advancing wildfires engulfed a section of Greece.
John and Shelley Hale, from Aldridge in the West Midlands, were on a 10-day family holiday in Kefalonia when they received emergency alerts warning of approaching fires. Authorities urged people to evacuate towards the sea.
"When I opened the door and saw those hills [on fire], it took me aback. There were elements of panic," John stated, noting that the situation quickly escalated as the fires spread rapidly.
As emergency services responded, residents and visitors were advised to head to the coastline, approximately a 10-minute walk away. "The hills behind us were just ablaze," John described, likening the scene to a movie. He added, "There was a bit of panic at the time because the fires were spreading so quickly and there wasn't a lot of information."
Thousands have been evacuated on the Greek island of Crete, where wildfires have endangered villages and tourist resorts. This summer, three firefighters have died battling separate blazes in Greece, while fires have also ravaged Portugal, France, and Spain. These fires coincide with a period of hot, dry, and windy weather across several southern European countries.
John mentioned the scarcity of information as people gathered by the sea, with many relying on intermittent updates while awaiting news on whether it was safe to return. "Every hour, the rep got all the holidaymakers together and gave us an update, but they didn't really know much," he explained.
Firefighters worked through the night, significantly reducing the blaze by morning. "By seven o'clock they must have worked so hard, because the fires had really diminished," John added.
Upon returning to the area, John observed the clear scale of destruction, including scorched vegetation and burnt-out vehicles. However, he noted that some nearby homes and his accommodation escaped significant damage. "It really was close, just across the roadway," John said, also remarking on the "quite shocking" noise of the fire, which he had never heard before.
Locally, arson was suspected, though authorities have not officially confirmed the cause of the fire. Electricity remained unavailable in the area, but flights continued to operate. Some holidaymakers opted to leave before their scheduled departure dates due to the fires.