Crete faces very high wildfire risk Monday, regional civil protection says
The civil protection service of the Region of Crete says the island faces a category 4 “very high” wildfire risk on Monday, September 7, 2026, according to the daily fire risk forecast map issued by the General Secretariat for Civil Protection.
All civil protection services and technical resources on the island have been placed on alert, with personnel and equipment mobilized to respond to any emergency linked to the elevated risk, the regional service said.
Restrictions in place
Under Fire Service Order 9/24, several activities are banned across Crete for the duration of the alert. These include burning agricultural or grassland residue, using open flames outdoors for any event (religious, cultural, recreational or film production), smoking near beehives, carrying out hot works such as welding or cutting, using outdoor grills of any fuel type, releasing sky lanterns or hot-air balloons, and using fireworks.
The order also restricts the passage, presence and movement of people and vehicles in specific forests and natural areas across all four regional units of Crete. In Heraklion, the restricted zones include the forests of Symi, Rouvas–Zaros, Koudouma, Keris, Fourni, Giouchtas and Epanosifi. In Lasithi, they cover Azila forest, Vathy forest, Thripti forest, the Kalo Chorio and Meselera forests, Selakano forest, the Kritsa cypress forest, Krousta forest, the Vai palm forest (daily from 22:00 to 06:00) and the Pefkoseli forest near Schinokapsala.
In Rethymno, restrictions apply to the peri-urban forests of Evligia, Profitis Ilias and Agios Ioannis, a reforested area south of the Arkadi Monastery, the Paradeisos Armenon grove, the Mylon gorge, the peri-urban forests of Kissou, Angouseliana and Agios Ioannis in the Municipality of Agios Vasileios, the section of the Kourtaliotis river south of the area overseen by OFYPEKA and the Municipality of Agios Vasileios up to its mouth (excluding the sandy part of the beach), the Margarites gorge and the Agios Antonios Patsou gorge. In Chania, the restricted areas include sections of the European E4 trail between Krios and Elafonisi, Sougia and Gialiskari, and Sougia and Agia Roumeli, the Kathiana wind park, the Prevantoriou–Pefkon forest, the Agios Matthaios peri-urban forest, and the Agios Ioannis and Korfou forests on Gavdos.
Maps showing the exact boundaries of the restricted areas, drawn up with the Forestry Directorates of Crete, are published on the region’s civil protection website. People who live or work within the affected zones are exempt from the restrictions, the regional service said.
Penalties
Violators face administrative fines, and breaches are also reported to the relevant licensing authority, such as the Directorate of Rural Economy and Veterinary Affairs, for possible further action, subject to any stricter penalties provided under other regulations.
The regional service listed emergency contact numbers for residents and visitors: 199 for the Fire Service, 112 for the European emergency number, 1591 for the Forest Policy Enforcement Inspectorate, 100 for the police, 108 for the Port Authority and 166 for the national emergency medical service (EKAV).
The Monday alert follows a series of high fire-risk warnings issued for Crete in recent days, including a category 4 “orange” wildfire alert on Friday, part of a pattern that has repeatedly led authorities to close forests, gorges and trails across the island this summer. Crete’s network of gorges has been among the areas most frequently affected by access restrictions during periods of heightened fire danger.
