Greek authorities have arrested two men in connection with the massive wildfire that broke out in Boeotia on Friday, 31 July, and spread into Attica, following an investigation into the blaze’s suspected cause.
From the first hours of the fire, specialists from the Fire Service’s Arson Crimes Directorate (DAEE) carried out extensive on-site inspections at the points of origin, collected witness statements, gathered key evidence and reviewed video footage capturing the fire’s initial moments. A forensic investigation was also conducted with the assistance of a court-appointed expert and an electrical engineer.
According to the findings so far, investigators believe the fire was triggered by oscillations in conductors on a privately owned electricity transmission line carrying power generated by wind turbines to the national grid. The movement of the cables is believed to have caused sparking, with the sparks igniting dry vegetation below. The blaze then spread rapidly, growing into a major wildfire that crossed from Boeotia into neighboring Attica.
The investigation focused on those responsible for the design, construction, supervision and operation of the private electricity transmission network.
Under Greece’s summary arrest procedure, two men were taken into custody. One is the electrical engineer who signed off on the project’s design and supervision, while the other is the contractor responsible for constructing the transmission network. Both face felony charges of arson with possible intent.
The owner of the wind farm company has also been named in the case file. Authorities sought to locate him as part of the same legal procedure, but he had not been found at the time of the announcement.
The two suspects are expected to appear before the competent public prosecutor.
