Crime & Public Safety
Greek mayor among three held in Athens wildfire arson case
Greek authorities placed Stylida Mayor Giannis Apostolou and two others in pre-trial detention on Friday, August 7, after charging them with arson over a wildfire that burned large areas near Athens.
Investigators believe the July 31 fire began with a spark from power cables at a wind farm near Agios Vasileios, a seaside village about 85 kilometres northwest of Athens. Apostolou, whose town is about 140 kilometres northwest of the capital, owns an electrical installation company linked to the wind farm.
Greek media reported that investigators accuse Apostolou, a contractor for his company and the owner of the wind farm of arson and damaging public utilities. All three could face more than 10 years in jail if convicted.
Greece's ANA news agency reported that authorities had decided to suspend operations at the wind farm, which lies on the border between Boeotia and Attica. The owner of the wind turbines is accused of failing to clear vegetation, and ANA reported that another fire had broken out on the same power line on June 27.
Fanned by wind gusts of up to 130 kilometres per hour, the fire spread from an overhead medium-voltage power line toward the southern slopes of Mount Kithairon and reached a town about 40 kilometres from Athens. Earlier official and local assessments said the wildfire blackened more than 14,000 hectares in five days.
More than 120 buildings and homes were damaged in the seaside resort of Porto Germeno, on the Gulf of Corinth, along with forest, scrubland and olive groves.
Since late July, Greece has suffered dozens of blazes that have left five people dead, including three firefighters. Two helicopter crew members fighting the flames also died in a collision with another aircraft.
Update
Greek authorities placed three people in pre-trial detention after charging them over the wildfire.
The detainees include Stylida Mayor Giannis Apostolou, a contractor for his electrical installation company and the owner of the wind farm.
Greek media reported that investigators accuse the three of arson and damaging public utilities.
ANA reported that authorities decided to suspend operations at the wind farm.
More than 120 buildings and homes were damaged in Porto Germeno, according to the new account.
Source note: AFP news report published on 7 August 2026 at 11:09:20 UTC.
Update
Greek authorities placed Stylida Mayor Giannis Apostolou in pre-trial detention after charging him with arson over the wildfire.
A contractor was also accused of arson and damaging public utilities.
Investigators said Apostolou owns an electrical installation company linked to a wind farm in the affected area.
Both men could face more than 10 years in jail if convicted.
Source note: AFP news report published on 7 August 2026 at 08:37:10 UTC.
Update
Greek officials and residents began assessing damage to homes, businesses and farmland west of Athens on Wednesday.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis was due to chair a cabinet meeting on compensation for those affected.
Teams from the Environment and Civil Protection ministries arrived to assess communities about 50 kilometres northwest of Athens.
Residents have been returning after preventive evacuations, according to Ertnews.
The fire service said the blaze blackened more than 14,000 hectares in five days.
Fire services spokesman Vassilis Vathrakoyannis said the situation in the region was much better, while firefighters remained on maximum alert where smoke remained.
An initial fire service investigation found the blaze started Friday with a spark on power cables managed by a private company in Agios Vasileios.
Source note: AFP news report published on 5 August 2026 at 08:31:57 UTC.
Update
Greek firefighters gained ground against the wildfire as easing winds allowed more aircraft to operate.
The fire service said more than 30 aircraft and 575 firefighters were battling the blaze near Psatha.
The fire department said the situation had clearly improved but scattered hotspots remained.
The greater Athens region, Evia, Chios and Lesbos were placed under near-maximum fire risk for Wednesday.
Source note: AFP news report published on 4 August 2026 at 14:29:12 UTC.
Update
Police set up cordons in Porto Germeno on Tuesday while damage evaluation continued.
Scores of homes in the broader Porto Germeno area are believed to have been destroyed or damaged.
An AFP reporter saw much of the formerly forested area around Porto Germeno consumed by fire, dozens of gutted homes and a charred fire engine.
Source note: AFP news report published on 4 August 2026 at 10:52:26 UTC.
Update
Police have made two arrests over the Porto Germeno fire, including a local mayor.
The Porto Germeno fire is reported to be believed to have started from a faulty power cable.
National Observatory research director Kostas Lagouvardos warned that Greece must remain very careful until around August 20-25, with temperatures expected to rise during the week.
Senior wildfire meteorologist Theodore Giannaros described the situation as one of the worst fire crises he had seen in about eight to 10 years.
Scores of homes in villages including Porto Germeno are believed to have been destroyed or damaged, though the exact number is not established.
Source note: AFP news report published on 4 August 2026 at 08:58:26 UTC.
Update
Firefighters hoped to contain the wildfire on the outskirts of Athens on its fifth day.
More than 30 aircraft were to be deployed as easing winds allowed aerial firefighting.
More than 500 firefighters were deployed in villages around Mount Kithairon, about 60 kilometres northwest of Athens.
The National Observatory said more than 13,000 hectares of forest and agricultural land had been affected by the fire near Athens.
The greater Athens area and Evia remained under near-maximum fire risk on Tuesday.
Source note: AFP news report published on 4 August 2026 at 07:08:51 UTC.
Update
Authorities warned of fresh flare-ups near Megara on Monday afternoon.
Megara's mayor said there had been no damage for now to homes or businesses in Kandyli and Agia Skepi, but the fire was moving closer to Megara's industrial zone.
The fire service said 450 firefighters were battling the blaze with 12 helicopters and 16 water-bombing aircraft.
The Greek fire service said other fires, including one on Cephalonia, had largely been contained.
Police arrested two electricity utility employees in connection with one of the fires.
ERT reported that all Bell helicopters involved in firefighting operations were grounded pending the outcome of an official investigation.
Source note: AFP news report published on 3 August 2026 at 15:04:02 UTC.
Update
Theodore Giannaros of the National Observatory described the crisis as one of the worst he had seen in perhaps eight to 10 years.
Giannaros said a quantitative comparison by burned area or ignition numbers would have to wait until the end of the fire season.
Giannaros said climate change is creating conditions that help fires spread, but argued that human activity and poor land management are central to ignitions and fire risk.
Giannaros said preliminary satellite assessment indicated the Porto Germeno-area fire was highly likely to exceed a commonly used 10,000-hectare megafire threshold.
Giannaros said Greece's new civil protection law had been adopted too close to the fire season to be fully implemented.
Source note: AFP news report published on 3 August 2026 at 14:22:51 UTC.
Update
The main fires were reported near Kandyli Megara and Agia Skepi, around 50 kilometres west of Athens.
A fire department spokesperson said conditions had improved but active and smouldering hotspots remained a risk.
The fire service said 13 aeroplanes, 12 helicopters and about 450 firefighters were fighting fires in Boeotia and Attica.
A fire on Cephalonia and other minor fires were reported contained.
Source note: AFP news report published on 3 August 2026 at 10:46:36 UTC.
Update
Public broadcaster ERT reported that all Bell helicopters deployed to the firefighting operation were grounded pending an official investigation.
Local media reported that the British pilot and Greek co-pilot of the other aircraft in Sunday's collision were injured and taken to hospital.
The helicopters were leased from Australia's McDermott Aviation as part of a fleet of 15 aircraft.
McDermott Aviation said it has supported operations in Greece for the past seven years.
Source note: AFP news report published on 3 August 2026 at 08:36:59 UTC.
Update
Greece's wildfires have claimed five lives since last week.
Two Bell helicopters collided during firefighting operations near Psatha on Sunday, killing a Danish pilot and a Greek co-pilot.
Water-bombing aircraft resumed operations Monday after winds eased.
Authorities ordered new evacuations Monday morning near Kandyli, west of Athens.
Police arrested two electricity utility employees in connection with one fire that investigators believe may have been sparked by an electrical cable near Porto Germeno.
More than 12,000 hectares of forest and agricultural land have burned over the past week, according to Copernicus analyses cited by local media.
Source note: AFP news report published on 3 August 2026 at 07:43:41 UTC.
Update
Nearly 500 firefighters were battling blazes around Porto Germeno, up from the earlier figure of more than 400.
French and Romanian firefighters were assisting the Porto Germeno operation, according to the fire department.
The fire department said about 60 forest and agricultural fires had broken out in 24 hours.
Another fire front in Phocis, central Greece, was tying down 64 firefighters.
The civil protection ministry said winds eased later Saturday, while the greater Athens area, Voiotia and Evia were under near-maximum fire risk for Sunday.
Source note: AFP news report published on 1 August 2026 at 16:22:39 UTC.
Update
Civil protection minister Evangelos Tournas said the number of fires and extreme weather had pushed the fire department to its limits.
Tournas said gale-force winds stopped aircraft in some cases from drawing water or making drops because of turbulence.
Nearly 100 firefighters were fighting another blaze in Aigialia in the northern Peloponnese.
The greater Athens area, nearby Voiotia and Evia were under near-maximum fire risk for Sunday, the civil protection ministry said.
Meteo.gr said fires on Crete had affected nearly 5,000 hectares and a fire on Paros had burned nearly 1,000 hectares.
Source note: AFP news report published on 1 August 2026 at 14:02:47 UTC.
Update
The fire department said more than 400 firefighters were battling blazes near Porto Germeno.
A regional official said some aircraft had managed to operate despite the wind.
A wildfire meteorologist said the affected area appeared to exceed 4,000 to 5,000 hectares.
A senior civil protection official said up to 150 homes in Porto Germeno were believed to have been damaged.
The source adds witness accounts of homes burned near Porto Germeno and Aspra Chomata.
Source note: AFP news report published on 1 August 2026 at 11:09:07 UTC.
Uncertainty notes
The accusations have not been tested in court, and the three people charged have not been convicted.
The exact legal findings on the wildfire's cause and responsibility remain unresolved.
The broader Greek wildfire death figures and the helicopter collision deaths are separate from the charged Athens-area arson case.
Source
AFP news report published on .