Holidaymakers stay away from campsites as ‘unprecedented’ wildfires ravage France – while thousands of homes are evacuated in Greece
Wildfires described as "unprecedented" have swept across parts of France, deterring holidaymakers from staying at campsites in affected areas during the peak summer season. The blazes come amid a wider wave of extreme heat and fire activity across southern Europe, with authorities in Greece separately forced to evacuate thousands of homes as fires threaten residential areas.
The disruption highlights the growing impact of summer wildfires on Europe's tourism industry, with holidaymakers reportedly cancelling or avoiding campsite bookings in France as fires burn nearby. In Greece, the scale of the evacuations—affecting thousands of households—points to a serious and fast-moving emergency response effort, though further specific details on locations, casualties and containment were not available in the source material.
- Wildfires in France deter holidaymakers from campsites during summer season.
- French fires described by authorities as "unprecedented" in scale.
- Thousands of homes evacuated in Greece due to separate wildfires.
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Wildfires have been spreading across parts of southern Europe during an intense summer heatwave, with France and Greece among the worst affected countries. In France, blazes described as unprecedented in scale have put popular holiday areas on alert, with campsites in particular seeing a drop in visitors as tourists cancel or avoid trips during what is normally peak season for the region.
Greece, meanwhile, is dealing with its own set of fires that have forced the evacuation of thousands of homes, with emergency services working to protect residential areas. Both countries regularly experience wildfires in summer, but the current combination of extreme heat, dry conditions and fast-moving fires has put unusual strain on firefighting resources and disrupted daily life for residents and visitors alike.
The situation matters beyond the immediate danger to homes and land, since tourism is a major part of the economy in both France and Greece, and repeated summers of severe wildfires raise wider questions about how southern Europe copes with rising temperatures and fire risk in the years ahead.