Panic as wildfire rips across holiday hills

A holidaymaker has described the "terrifying" moments he was forced to flee to the coast after fast-moving wildfires swept through part of Greece.

John Hale and his wife Shelley, from Aldridge in the West Midlands, got emergency alerts warning that fires were approaching while they were staying in Kefalonia, with authorities urging 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 said.

The situation quickly became more serious as it became clear the fires were spreading rapidly, he added.

Residents and visitors were advised to head to the coastline, about a 10-minute walk away, as emergency services responded to the blaze.

"The hills behind us were just ablaze," John said and likened it to being in a movie: "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 of people have been evacuated on the Greek island of Crete, where wildfires have threatened villages and tourist resorts. Three firefighters have died tackling separate blazes in Greece, while fires have also burned in Portugal, France and Spain this summer.

John said there was little information available as people gathered by the sea, with many relying on intermittent updates while waiting to hear 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 said.

Firefighters worked through the night and by the morning they had significantly reduced the fire.

"By seven o'clock they must have worked so hard, because the fires had really diminished," John added.

Returning to the area, he said the scale of the destruction was clear as he saw scorched vegetation and burnt-out vehicles, although he said some nearby homes and the accommodation where he was staying escaped significant damage.

"It really was close, just across the roadway," John said.

"The noise as well… I've not really heard that before, [it was] quite shocking."

He said arson was suspected locally, although the cause of the fire had not been officially confirmed by authorities.

Electricity remained unavailable in the area but flights were continuing to operate, John said, with some holidaymakers choosing to leave before their planned departure dates due to the fires.

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