A man has been arrested in connection with a wildfire that broke out near the village of Vasilika, southeast of Thessaloniki, after investigators concluded that the blaze was caused by negligence during construction work, Greek fire authorities said.
The fire erupted shortly before 12:40 p.m. on Tuesday June 14 along the provincial road linking Vasilika and Peristera in the municipality of Thermi, according to the Fire Service’s preliminary investigation.
According to investigators, the fire began when a metal hammer striking an iron fence post during fencing work produced sparks that ignited dry grass on the property. The flames quickly spread through nearby fields covered with crop stubble and into adjoining olive groves.
A substantial firefighting operation was deployed to contain the blaze, involving 30 firefighters, a specialized ground crew from the 2nd Forest Fire Operations Unit, 10 fire engines and two helicopters. Water tankers provided by local authorities also assisted in the effort. As the fire developed, authorities activated Greece’s emergency alert system, known as 112, to notify residents in the surrounding area.
Following the completion of the investigation, the Thessaloniki branch of the Fire Service’s arson crimes unit arrested an individual deemed responsible for the incident. The suspect was later brought before the competent prosecutor under Greece’s fast-track criminal procedure.
The Fire Service said the case forms part of a broader pattern of fires linked to negligence during the country’s wildfire season. Between Jan. 1 and July 14, authorities imposed 563 administrative fines totaling €745,272.57 and carried out 183 arrests related to fire incidents.
Of those arrests, 168 cases — or 91.8% of the total — involved negligence, while 15 cases concerned suspected intentional acts, according to official figures.
The Directorate for Arson Crime Investigation and the Fire Service’s investigative units remain on heightened operational readiness during the summer months, carrying out inspections and pursuing violations where necessary.
Fire officials reiterated that the overwhelming majority of wildfires in Greece are caused by human activity and urged the public to avoid work that could generate sparks or open flames during periods of elevated fire risk.
