Is it safe to travel to Greece right now: Latest updates as wildfires continue to rage near Athens - has the Foreign Office issued guidance?

On Sunday (11 August), a wildfire broke out in northern Athens, with flames soaring up to 25 metres in height. Residents have been evacuated in nearby towns, including the historic Marathon.

Fire service spokesman Col Vassilios Vathrakogiannis said while there was no longer a single active fire front in the north-eastern Attica region, which includes parts of Athens, there were still "many active localised blazes", mostly around the towns of Marathon and Penteli. In a statement released on Monday evening, he added that conditions for new fires remained dangerous not only on Tuesday, but also for further into the week. 

One person has died from the raging wildfires. The body, believed to be that of a woman, was found inside a shop in the town of Vrilissia, northern Athens, a source from the fire service told the BBC. 

Wildfires may be a cause for concern if you have a trip booked, but the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has not yet updated its advice on travel to Greece following the latest fires near Athens. If in doubt, it is important to follow local advice, as well as the advice of your travel provider, regarding the risk of wildfires, as well as keeping updated on evacuation calls and making sure to heed them.

You should also be prepared to contact emergency services if necessary. Ensure you have the emergency telephone numbers for the destination to which you are travelling.

In Greece, emergency services can be reached on 112. Contact them if you find yourself in immediate danger or if you see a wildfire.

It is worth noting that travel insurance is unlikely to cover situations of loss of enjoyment due to wildfires – including being unable to leave your hotel – unless your policy includes a specific add-on offering this type of protection. Most travel insurance policies also exclude “disinclination to travel”. This is where you decide that you no longer wish to travel after booking your holiday despite there being no change in FCDO advice.