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Family sleep on beach to escape Greek wildfires

Richard MaddenEast Yorkshire and Lincolnshire
News imageClayton family Three people pose for a selfie. A woman on the right is wearing sunglasses and a bright pink top. A boy is on the left. A man with a bald head and sunglasses is standing behind the pair. All of them are smiling into the camera. Green bushes, lawns and tables are behind them.Clayton family
The Claytons, from Snaith, fled their hotel due to wildfires on Kefalonia

A family from East Yorkshire have described how they slept on a beach as wildfires in Greece spread towards their hotel.

Marie and Simon Clayton, from Snaith, have been on holiday with their 10-year-old son Oscar on the island of Kefalonia since 29 July, and were forced to flee their hotel in Kateleios.

"We could see smoke over the top of the mountains and initially thought everything would be OK. Then, out of nowhere, the fire came over the top of the hillside towards us," said Marie.

Greece is one of several European countries facing devastating fires, with thousands of people being evacuated from the mainland and islands such as Crete.

News imageMarie Clayton A wildfire on a hillside, as seen from a road. The orange flames and smoke are silhouetted against the night sky. There are also street lights, set against a dark landscape.Marie Clayton
Marie Clayton said the situation was scary

Marie told the BBC the family were enjoying their holiday before they started to receive repeated emergency alerts on their phones as smoke and flames spread towards their resort.

"As you're driving up the mountain road, you get to a point where you can actually see the enormity of the fire. It was quite horrific," she said.

"It was pretty hairy for a lot of people."

She added: "We slept on the beach at Skala, but we saw a beautiful sunset and shooting stars, so there was a little bit of a silver lining."

They huddled together on sun loungers and covered themselves in towels while they waited for further information.

News imageReuters A wildfire burns on a road as thick orange smoke fills the sky. Flames engulf trees along the roadside, with fire rising from a tree on the right. Two red emergency vehicles with flashing lights are parked on the left side of the road, while an emergency worker walks across the road. The scene is dark and smoky, illuminated by the intense glow of the fire.Reuters
Thousands of people have been evacuated as wildfires rage across Greece

As a precaution, the Claytons have booked a flight home for Monday.

"The smoke in the area is horrific. There's molten ash falling all over the place. It's not great," Marie said.

"We've been watching multiple firefighting planes and a firefighting helicopter reloading, then off they go again."

But she added: "When you take a step back and reflect on everything, and look at the pictures online, you realise just how lucky you've been."

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