Μake us preferred on Google Authorities are moving to temporarily shut down the entire wind farm in Boeotia whose network is believed to have sparked the massive wildfire that spread into Western Attica, following recent developments in the case, the pretrial detention of those responsible, and a request from the Directorate for Dealing with Arson Crimes (DDAC) for a comprehensive infrastructure inspection.
Specifically, the head of the DDAC, Dimitris Dimakogiannis, went to the Thebes prosecutor’s office yesterday and received two orders. One concerns inspection of the remaining overhead power transmission network from the wind farm to the Hellenic Electricity Distribution Network Operator (HEDNO) substation.
According to reports, the Directorate’s report states that the power transmission network from the wind farm to the HEDNO substation in Agia Anna consists of four sections totaling roughly 42 kilometers, of which about 4 kilometers are overhead and the remaining 38 are underground.
Poor Workmanship and Lack of Vegetation Clearance
The major fire that broke out on July 31 started beneath one of the four overhead medium voltage lines. A fire had also broken out on the same line on June 27, very close to where the large fire later started, but was extinguished quickly that time.
Both fires are attributed to poor workmanship. At the same time, vegetation had not been cleared as required by regulations, which call for a 4 meter clearance along the line and 8 meters around the pylons, something not included in the contract with the technical company, which is why the wind farm’s owner also faces charges.
It’s worth noting the wind farm received its operating license in December 2025, was connected to power to begin operating in May 2026, and started feeding electricity back into the HEDNO substation in June, just five days before the first fire broke out.
Findings and Marathon Testimonies
According to the prosecutorial order, the inspection will be carried out under the Directorate’s supervision by expert investigators appointed for the task: electrical engineer Tasos Dede and former deputy chief of the Fire Service Andrianos Gourbatsis, who are expected to be sworn in possibly today, with their investigation to begin immediately so they can submit findings as quickly as possible on the state of the network and how the fire developed.
All four lines were built by the technical company belonging to the mayor of Stylida, with the second of the arrested individuals serving as the technical manager of the construction. In the end, both of them, along with the wind farm’s owner, who had contracted the network’s construction with the mayor, were placed in pretrial detention yesterday after lengthy testimony before the Thebes investigating magistrate. All three deny responsibility for the fire.
It’s worth noting that, according to relevant sources, from the very first moment there was strong interest from Thebes judicial authorities, the prosecutor and investigating magistrate, and excellent cooperation with the Fire Service to resolve the case as quickly as possible. Notably, the three defendants’ testimony began at 11:30 a.m. yesterday and wrapped up at 4 a.m., when the decision for pretrial detention was made.
The second prosecutorial order concerns fully preserving all facilities and evidence, to ensure no interference could alter the investigation’s findings and to prevent any risk of a new fire.
License Revoked, Investigation Widens
At the same time, the investigating magistrate sent a document to the decentralized administration instructing it to act on the two prosecutorial orders, effectively amounting to a revocation of the wind farm’s operating license.
Sources say it’s possible authorities will order inspections of all power transmission projects built by the mayor’s technical company, and potentially of wind farm networks more broadly, to prevent future fire risk from similar causes, though that decision rests with judicial authorities.
