Greek fires 2021

A summer of fires in Europe – How the Turkish, Greek and Italian fires have impacted some of our customers

It’s possibly the most terrifying situation any homeowner can face – wildfires that sweep through a region destroying everything in their path. 2021 has seen unprecedented ‘extreme weather’ conditions that have left some parts of Europe underwater from floods, while other regions such as Greece, Turkey and Italy have experienced some of the worst fires in decades.

While Turkey and Italy have been badly affected, it’s Greece that’s taken the brunt of the wildfires of 2021. Since early August, a historical heatwave with temperatures rising to above 47°C left swathes of the country tinder-dry. The tiniest sparks, combined with intense winds, have triggered wildfires that have resulted in entire villages being evacuated, devastating loss of property and, sadly, loss of life too.

Greece, Turkey and even Italy are no strangers to wildfires. But the most severe heatwave in decades has resulted in forests, parks and shrubland becoming kindling for these fires. With some of the Greek regions affected populated by holiday homes, people’s livelihoods have also been consumed by the flames.

How are Intasure responding?

This isn’t the first time we’ve assisted our customers during a weather-related crisis, and thanks to our nearly 20 years of experience in providing insurance for holiday homes in Greece, Turkey and Italy, we’re able to get representatives on the ground straight away. Our policy is to utilise locally-based, English-speaking loss adjusters who can assist the second property owner promptly.

Our priority is the safety of our customers, and our team. Once the area has been declared safe by the emergency services, our loss adjustors can move in, working with those who may have lost their homes, their possessions and their businesses to assist them to recover as quickly as possible. Our local loss adjusters know the area so they know what to expect. They also know the true value of holiday homes in Greece and property that may have been completely destroyed by fire.

At Intasure, we deal with every claim from start to finish, so our customers can get to know their representative personally. This lets us get to know the customer too, and we aim to deliver a flawless service with no ‘messing around’. The last thing our customers need when they’ve survived the horror of a wildfire is to be shunted from one representative to another. So we strive to make the claims process  as easy and as stress-free as possible with a single point of contact.

What kind of holiday home cover is available?

Whether you’re using a holiday home for your own personal pleasure, or are letting it out as a business, our insurance for holiday homes in Greece is specifically designed to be flexible. With public liability of up to £5million as standard, as well as cover for short or long term lets, temporary accommodation cover, and even emergency travel costs covered, our holiday home insurance can give our customers reassurance in uncertain times.

How to make a claim?

If an Intasure customer has suffered a loss in a natural disaster, we make it as easy as possible to get the claim moving quickly. For years, we’ve been there for our customers, no matter what the situation – from earthquakes in Turkey to storms and floods in Spain – so we know that speed is of the essence in an emergency.

We hit the ground running, helping customers initiate a claim as soon as possible after the incident. The faster we get the ball rolling, the quicker our customers can start to rebuild their lives.

If you own or are planning to buy a holiday home in Italy, Greece, Turkey, or anywhere else in Europe, talk to Intasure today. We offer holiday home cover across the EU, as well as quick quotes and friendly, professional advice from people who really know the area. Contact us using our online form, or call us today on 0345 111 0680 and talk to one of our team for more information.

*These are brief product descriptions only. Please refer to the policy documentation paying particular attention to the terms and conditions, exclusions, warranties, subjectivities, excesses and any endorsements. – The opinions and views expressed in the above articles are those of the author only and are for guidance purposes only. The authors disclaim any liability for reliance upon those opinions and would encourage readers to rely upon more than one source before making a decision based on the information.

Ref: FP1123-2021 V1