Officers from Greece’s Arson Crimes Directorate remain on heightened alert as the country faces strong winds and a Level 4 wildfire risk, with many people continuing to ignore the danger and engage in hazardous activities despite the conditions.
In just one weekend, authorities made nine arrests for negligent arson, with several cases raising serious concern.
In the village of Sofiko, in the Corinth region of southern Greece, a 76-year-old man was arrested after lighting a barbecue and setting up a makeshift electrical installation in his yard, which ignited a wildfire.
Meanwhile, in Nea Makri, east of Athens, a 79-year-old man was also arrested for lighting a barbecue on a day classified as carrying a very high wildfire risk. He was fined €3,000.
During the first six months of the year, authorities have imposed 488 administrative fines totaling approximately €500,000, while 133 people have been arrested under Greece’s fast-track legal procedure for offenses committed in the act.
According to official data, 94% of the cases involve fires caused by negligence, while only 6% are linked to deliberate arson.
The penalties are particularly severe. Fines start at €3,000, but when negligence on days with a Level 4 or Level 5 wildfire risk causes fires that destroy forest land or homes, the offense may be treated as gross negligence, carrying serious criminal consequences that can include imprisonment.
Authorities point to several cases from last year as examples. On the island of Chios, a woman from Georgia was remanded in custody after allegedly throwing away a lit cigarette on a day of very high wildfire risk, triggering a major forest fire. Similarly, in Feneos, in the Corinth region, two men were also remanded in custody after allegedly using a power grinder inside a forested area, causing a wildfire that burned approximately 10,000 stremmas (about 2,470 acres).
The message from authorities is clear: on days of extreme wildfire danger, there is no room for carelessness. A barbecue, a cigarette, or a power tool can lead not only to catastrophic wildfires but also to prison.
