A total of 35 wildfires and rural fires erupted throughout Greece over the past 24 hours – before dusk – according to the fire brigade on Monday.

Of these, 31 were immediately contained or extinguished, while a more extensive fire-fighting effort was underway for the remaining four.

In a related development, a 57-year-old local man was apprehended on Monday on charges of intentionally setting seven rural fires in the western part of the large eastern Aegean Island of Lesbos (Lesvos). An arrest warrant was issued, following the recommendation of both a relevant investigating judge and prosecutor.

The suspect, reportedly an official with the area’s local agriculture cooperative, had previously confessed, police state, to causing the fires last week “out of spite” against several neighbors and farmers.

Defense attorneys have reportedly requested a psychiatric evaluation for the defendant.

Meanwhile, a very high risk for wildfires was issued for Tuesday and for the islands of Crete, Chios, Samos, Ikaria and Karpathos, all in the southern and southeast Aegean, according to a fire risk map issued by civil protection authorities (https://civilprotection.gov.gr/en/xartis).