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Authorities have arrested a 40-year-old man accused of repeatedly setting fires in a forested area near Stavros, in the Halkida area of central Evia (Euboea) island, the fire service announced on Monday.

The man was detained after investigators linked him to three separate fires that broke out in succession on Sunday night in dry vegetation near a thicket of pine trees. According to information obtained during the investigation, the suspect rode a motorcycle, stopped by the roadside and used a lighter to ignite dry brush.

He was brought in for questioning by investigators from the fire brigade’s arson crimes unit and subsequently admitted to deliberately starting the three wildfires, according to reports. He reportedly told investigators that his actions were prompted by what he described as hostile behavior toward him by fellow villagers.

Investigators later conducted a reconstruction of the incidents in the suspect’s presence. He reportedly identified the precise locations where he had started the fires and demonstrated how he had ignited them. Fire brigade officers said the findings from the reconstruction were cross-checked against evidence already collected during the investigation.

The man had previously come to the attention of authorities over suspected arson. In 2018, he was arrested in connection with nine intentional arson incidents and reportedly admitted involvement in all nine cases. He spent 18 months in pretrial detention before being acquitted by a court on grounds of reasonable doubt.

Following the completion of the preliminary investigation, the 40-year-old was formally arrested on charges of repeated intentional arson and a case file was opened against him. He is due to appear before a prosecutor.

The arrest comes amid intensified efforts by Greek authorities to identify people suspected of deliberately starting fires.

In August, an 80-year-old man was arrested in Kavala after allegedly using an open flame to ignite dry grass, while a 57-year-old woman was arrested near Corinth after video appeared to show her deliberately setting fire to dry vegetation. Authorities have also arrested suspects over multiple fires near Athens and in western Greece.

Through Aug. 16, authorities had recorded 302 arrests, including 31 cases involving suspected deliberate arson, for the 2026 wildfire season.