Britons have issued an “emergency alert” after fire hit a popular tourist island

British tourists in Greece are on high alert as a ferocious fire fueled by soaring temperatures rages on one of the nation’s islands. The country has been battling severe fires for weeks, exacerbated by hot and dry conditions, with the national fire service preparing for a challenging season.

Amidst the earliest heatwave on record, emergency services are battling to contain the devastating impact of the fires. In Athens, officials ordered the evacuation of eight districts as multiple fires raged around the capital’s Attica region, a popular destination for millions of British tourists each year.

Greece’s Minister for Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Vassilis Kikilias issued an “emergency alert” late Sunday after two “extremely dangerous” fires broke out in the Attica towns of Keratea and Stamata, driven by strong winds. He announced: “Today in Attica, two extremely dangerous fires were tackled that broke out in residential areas and spread rapidly due to strong winds from Keratea and Stamata.” reports the Mirror.

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Vasilis Vathrakogiannis, a representative of the Greek fire brigade, described it as the “toughest day” of the year for his team during an emergency press conference. He stated: “Today is the toughest the Fire Department has faced this year’s fire season.”

The popular islands of Chios and Kos were also on high alert, with fires still burning on Monday, according to WalesOnline. Emergency services have issued evacuation orders for the Metohi area in western Chios, advising locals and tourists to seek refuge on a nearby beach.

A warning sent to British tourists said: “If you are in Kardamena, Kos, move to Antimachia” and urged tourists to follow the instructions of local authorities. Another message from TUI added: “We are currently on standby awaiting information from civil protection. Please contact your hotel’s reception teams who are in contact with local authorities for advice on next steps.”

On Kos, the Hellenic Fire Service reported deploying 20 firefighters, a helicopter and several volunteers to fight a brush fire in the center of the island. Greece’s prime minister warned in a meeting with senior officials that the fires are likely to worsen as the season progresses.

Addressing his cabinet, he said: “This is a summer that is expected to be particularly dangerous (for bushfires) … the worst times are still ahead of us.”

The Greek prime minister described June as “exceptionally difficult”, saying: “We had an exceptionally difficult June meteorologically, with high levels of drought and unusually strong winds for this season.”