Crete placed under ‘Red Code’ wildfire alert for Saturday, ministry says
Greece’s Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection has placed Crete under a “Red Code” wildfire alert for Saturday, September 5, 2026, according to the ministry’s daily fire risk forecast map. The same designation applies to Attica, Chios, Ikaria, the Cyclades and Evia.
The ministry’s map also rates these five regions as facing a “very high” risk of wildfire, or category 4, which it labels an orange alert, citing expected weather conditions. Under this rating, the affected areas include the region of Attica, the region of Sterea Ellada (Evia regional unit), the region of North Aegean (Chios and Ikaria regional units), the region of South Aegean (Cyclades regional units), and the region of Crete.
The Hellenic Fire Service shared the ministry’s forecast map on social media, noting a category 4, “very high” risk rating for Attica and Evia, and a category 3, “high” risk rating, for several other island and mainland areas.
Meteorologists have previously linked Crete’s recurring Red Code wildfire alerts to wind, heat and terrain conditions on the island. During earlier Red Code alerts this season, authorities have closed forests, gorges and trails across Crete as a precaution, and the island was also placed under a category 4 ‘orange’ wildfire alert that included a ban on open fires in sensitive areas.
