Prolonged heat and drought have made wildfires a recurring summer danger across southern Europe and many other regions. During the 2026 European heatwave, authorities placed emergency services on wildfire alert and warned travelers to avoid high-risk areas. If your trip involves forests, hills or coastal scrubland in fire season, here is how to stay safe.

Understand the risk before you go

Wildfire risk is seasonal and predictable. In much of southern Europe, the high-risk window runs roughly from April to October, peaking in the hot, dry months. Official travel advisories and national weather services publish fire-risk levels by region. Check them before you travel and again during your trip, especially if you plan to hike, camp, or stay in rural or wooded areas.

Reduce your exposure

  • During high fire-risk alerts, avoid woodland, mountain and dense scrubland areas, particularly on hot, windy days
  • Know the layout of where you are staying: identify more than one way out, and the nearest main road
  • Never light fires, barbecues or cigarettes in or near dry vegetation, which is often illegal during fire season and carries heavy penalties
  • Keep your phone charged and your location services on, so you can receive and act on alerts

If a wildfire is near you

  • Follow evacuation orders immediately and without hesitation. Do not wait to see how things develop
  • Leave early. Roads can become blocked or gridlocked once a fire spreads
  • If you cannot evacuate, move away from vegetation toward open space, a large clearing, a beach, or a wide paved area
  • Close windows and doors if sheltering indoors, and keep low to avoid smoke
  • Cover your nose and mouth with a damp cloth to reduce smoke inhalation
  • Call emergency services and tell them your exact location

Smoke is a danger even far from flames

Wildfire smoke can affect air quality across a wide area, well beyond the fire itself. It is especially dangerous for people with asthma, heart conditions or breathing problems, as well as children and older adults. If the air is thick with smoke, stay indoors with windows closed, and seek medical help if you experience difficulty breathing, chest tightness or persistent coughing.

After a fire passes

Do not return to an evacuated area until authorities declare it safe. Burned ground can hide hot spots, and damaged trees and structures can fall. Follow official guidance on when and how to return.

Be ready to act fast

In a fast-moving wildfire, the time you spend searching for the local emergency number is time you cannot afford to lose. Knowing it in advance, and having the nearest hospital and your trusted contacts one tap away, is the difference between reacting and scrambling. Weelp. keeps all of this on your phone, offline, for every country, so you are ready before the alert ever comes.

The bottom line

Wildfires are a serious but largely predictable summer risk. Check the fire-risk level for your destination, avoid high-risk areas during alerts, never be the cause of a fire, and if you are told to leave, leave immediately. Preparation and quick action are what keep a wildfire from becoming a personal catastrophe.

This article is general safety information, not official emergency guidance. Always follow the instructions of local authorities and emergency services during a wildfire.