Greek authorities arrest several people, levy fines for negligent fires

Greek fire services have arrested multiple individuals for fires caused by negligence. Two men were detained in Kriyoneri, Attica, after sparks from a lamp change ignited a blaze. In Chios, a man was arrested and fined €1,804.68 for a fire sparked by fuel leakage from a brush‑cutting machine that burned about 500 m² of dry grass. Two citizens in Serres and Thessproti received €1,289 fines each after discarded cigarettes started fires covering roughly 160 m². In Thessaloniki, a 51‑year‑old was caught after agricultural equipment sparked a fire in the Lagyna‑Derbeni area. The fire service reports that since 1 January 2026, more than 600 administrative fines totalling over €842 000 have been issued and over 210 arrests made, with about 88 % of cases attributed to negligence. It stresses that the vast majority of wildfires stem from human carelessness and notes that the Directorate for Fire‑Crime Investigation and regional investigative units remain on heightened readiness, conducting intensive checks and promptly assigning responsibility. Broad meetings on fire response were held at the Thessaloniki University of Macedonia (YMATH) to coordinate further actions.