The Loose Women panellists engaged in a debate on Tuesday as they discussed the current wildfires currently engulfing Greece, where thousands of tourists have been left stranded

Loose Women’s Jane Moore cut a debate about the Greece wildfires short on Tuesday as the panellists discussed the latest news.

A week-old wildfire on the Greek resort island of Rhodes tore past defences on Monday, forcing more evacuations as strong winds and successive heat waves that left scrubland and forests tinder-dry fuelled three major fires raging elsewhere in Greece.

The latest evacuations were ordered in south Rhodes after 19,000 people, mostly tourists, were moved in buses and boats over the weekend out of the path of the fire that reached several coastal areas from nearby mountains. It was the country’s biggest evacuation effort in recent years.

More fires are feared in other regions, including on the largest island Crete, in the next 24 hours and authorities have issued maps to highlight the most vulnerable spots.

Discussing the reports on Tuesday in a segment called “The Greek wildfires: Stop people travelling?” Jane, 61, said: “This is a weird one because all the holiday companies are saying they want guidance from the foreign office website but it’s not really saying anything at the minute.

“So if it doesn’t say on the foreign office website, advising not to go, a lot of the holiday companies are saying: ‘Well, we’re not going to give you your money back if you don’t go.’

“Some other experts in the travel industry are saying the foreign office could say: ‘Well, look, there’s certain parts of the island you shouldn’t go to without saying the whole island.’

“You’ve got to think about money back, people’s livelihoods on the islands and people’s holidays that might get cancelled for no reason.”

Janet Street-Porter then recalled her own experience with a wildfire when she travelled to Corsica, an island in France, a few years ago.

Discussing the current news, Janet, 76, pointed out that the island is big so it is up to the responsibility of travellers to see if they would be okay to travel and safe from the fire.

Elsewhere, Judi Love said that travellers have to do their own research and take responsibility in order to make sure safety is in play.

Loose Women debated “The Greek wildfires: Stop people travelling?” ( 
Image:
ITV)
Judi, 43, said: “I think we’ve got to take responsibility and do your research. At this particular time, do your research, take your own responsibility and safety into your hands. Make sure that it’s perfectly safe for you to go.”

However, Brenda Edwards said that she wouldn’t be travelling to Greece at all as she wouldn’t want to put pressure on emergency services.

She said: “Janet saying ‘it could be or could not be’ that’s too many variables for me. Just one gush of wind and all of a sudden it’s on my house, or my hotel where I’m staying.

“I agree with what Judi is saying, you should take responsibility, and for me, I wouldn’t be going if there’s a fire anywhere on the island.”

Janet then pointed out the holiday could be part of the island with no fire, but Brenda remained firm in her decision she would not go at all if there was any kind of risk of a fire.

She added: “You’ve got the rescue services, they’ve got more than enough to do, putting out that fire and rescue the people who actually live there while they’re having to add even more rescuing me.”

Cutting the debate short before it got too heated, Jane quipped: “I’m going to throw water on that fiery debate!”