Some 550 vehicles parked at the Patras customs service premises were among the possible “casualties” of a wildfire that erupted in the same region over the past two days, with images widely circulated in the media and social media showing a scorched and eerie landscape.

According to reports, most of the vehicles were older model passenger cars with little or no value as auction items.

The outdoor space had been cleared of brush and weeds last June, as per a new law requiring the state and private owners to clear fields as a preventative measure against wildfires.

Media reports have fire brigade investigators also examining whether arson was involved, with the nearby wildfires in the Patras area (Achaia prefecture) used as a pretense.

Greece’s independent tax bureau, which now oversees the customs service, has ordered an exact recording of the damages.