Greece wildfire in Attica and Boeotia burns 111,000 stremmata, arrests made

A large wildfire ignited on 31 July 2026 north of Agios Vasileios in Boeotia and quickly spread to western Attica. Over roughly 91 hours the fire consumed 111,732 stremmata (about 1,117 km²) and released an estimated 380 TJ of energy, a magnitude the Greek Meteorological Service equated to six Hiroshima‑type atomic bombs. Strong winds of up to 80 km/h drove the blaze, which peaked during two night‑time surges.

A forensic investigation identified serious technical failures in the electrical network of a nearby wind‑farm. Evidence of short‑circuiting, damaged conductors and pre‑existing thermal damage pointed to the wind‑farm’s infrastructure as the ignition source. On 6‑7 August 2026 a court hearing resulted in the pre‑trial detention of three suspects: the mayor of Stiliada, who was also acting as the project contractor, an electrical engineer, and the owner of the company operating the wind‑farm. The judicial panel found sufficient grounds to hold them while the cause of the fire is further examined.