Since 2003, the amount of wildfires that occur each year and their intensity has doubled, with the most affected year being 2017.

Studies have shared that wildfires becoming more common is down to climate change, with a rise in the average temperature in forests. 

Countries known for their hot weather are now often facing dry conditions brought on by heatwaves that lead to summer droughts and a higher chance of fire.

Although wildfires are on the rise, the countries often affected are those that rely on the tourist economy during the summer months.

But, as tourists head to countries with a record of wildfires, they should know whether their travel insurance can cover wildfires.

Experts at Holiday Extras have shared what you need to know when it comes to wildfires and travel insurance and why you should get coverage.

Are wildfires covered by travel insurance?

Alice Lawson, Associate Director of Insurance at Holiday Extras shared: "There aren't really any circumstances in which it can come up.

"If wildfires break out at your destination and your provider therefore can't fulfil your contract, for example, because it's too dangerous to travel, they'd be expected to refund or rebook your trip.

"If there are wildfires at your destination but holidays are still considered safe to continue, there's no recourse to insurance.

"If your holiday is going ahead but you decide not to travel just in case there's a fire, insurance wouldn't normally reimburse you for deciding not to fly.

"And if fires break out once you're there, it's once again a matter for your provider to evacuate you, not your insurance.

"If for some reason your provider can't fulfil their duty you may be able to claim against your insurance, but it's not usual for that to come up - in overseas emergencies in the past either the airline, holiday provider or in extreme cases the UK government have stepped in to get people home."

How to make sure you have the best travel insurance

"The best travel insurance is the insurance that's right for you, your trip, your circumstances and the things you'll be doing while you're away.

"Historically it's been hard for people to find that out because the details of travel insurance policies are either summarised in bullet points or buried in pages of impenetrable legalese, but at the start of this year we built an AI tool called SYD ("Search Your Documents") that lets you ask what insurance you need in plain English and then finds the right answers for you, so now it's easy to see whether your needs are met by any of our policies."

What are the dangers of not buying travel insurance?

"Most holidays are happily trouble-free and most people don't need to claim on their insurance.

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"But in the rare circumstances where something goes wrong, it can be either dangerous or expensive not to have the right travel insurance.

"The largest costs holidaymakers face if something goes wrong overseas are often medical bills or medical repatriation - a special plane or helicopter for transporting people who are still undergoing medical treatment, plus the trained medical professionals to travel with them.

"Medical repatriation alone, just from Europe, can cost £30,000-£60,000, so the financial risk of travelling without the right insurance can be high."