Three arrested in Greece for negligent fire-starting

Greek authorities have arrested three people in Lesbos and Corinthia on suspicion of causing fires through negligence. The arrests come as fire services are on high alert due to worsening fire weather conditions.

In Lesbos, a 23-year-old man was detained and fined €1,804.68 for a fire in Stipsi that investigators believe was caused by a discarded cigarette butt. The blaze, which started on August 7, burned approximately 270 square meters of dry grass and debris.

A more serious incident occurred in the Corinthia region, where two local men were arrested for a fire that ignited in the village of Stefani. According to the investigation, the fire originated from a short circuit in the electrical equipment of a photovoltaic park. The presence of low vegetation within the park facilitated the fire's spread to a nearby forest.

This fire consumed about 500 stremmata (50 hectares) of forest and an additional 50 stremmata (5 hectares) of agricultural land, totaling approximately 550 stremmata (55 hectares) of burnt area. Fire investigators from Corinthia collaborated with national units to investigate the cause. Since January 1, 2026, Greek authorities have issued 680 administrative fines totaling €1,045,736.74 and made 274 arrests for fires. Of these arrests, 245 were attributed to negligence and 29 to intentional acts.