Four Arrested in Crete and Aetolia-Acarnania for Causing Fires, Fined €10,400

Greek authorities arrested four men after four separate fire-related incidents in Chania and Aetolia-Acarnania on August 29 and 30, 2026. The cases were handled by investigative units of the Fire Service responsible for arson offenses.

In Plekati­na, Chania, a man allegedly caused a fire through negligence while working with a vehicle equipped with a boom. Power cables were cut during the work, igniting dry grass on a roadside slope. The fire affected about 20 square meters, and authorities imposed a €3,867.18 administrative fine.

Another man was arrested in Galatas, Chania, for using a barbecue in violation of fire-protection rules while the daily fire danger index stood at category 5, or extreme danger. He received a €2,812.50 fine. A third man was arrested in Vamvakopoulo, Chania, for lighting and using a fire during a cultural event under the same extreme-risk conditions. His fine was €3,750.

In Aetolia-Acarnania, authorities arrested a man after a fire started at about 8:10 a.m. on a slope covered with dry grass beside the Ionia Odos highway in the municipality of Xiromero. The fire followed a malfunction involving a heavy articulated truck. From January 1 through August 30, the Fire Service said it had imposed 755 administrative fines totaling €1,255,258.98 and made 324 arrests. Of those arrests, 287, or 88.58%, involved negligence, while 37, or 11.42%, involved intentional acts. Authorities urged residents to check daily fire-risk ratings and follow fire-protection regulations.