Kefalonia wildfire forces power outage, 44‑year‑old arrested for arson

Kefalonia wildfire arson power outage 44-year-old suspect

A large wildfire broke out on the night of 1 August 2026 at 23:21 in the Pastra area of Kefalonia, Greece. The fire burned more than 6,000 stremmata of forest, threatening the villages of Kremmydi, Markopoulo, Ano Kateleio and Mavratá. A 44‑year‑old man was arrested on suspicion of intentional arson; investigators say he used a naked flame and he has previous arson‑related convictions. The Directorate for the Investigation of Arson Crimes is leading the probe.

The blaze caused extensive damage to the island’s electricity network, destroying poles, columns and cables. Power outages are expected to exceed 24 hours in the affected areas, and crews from the electricity provider are working to restore service. Four generators have been deployed in the tourist resort of Skala, while water supply is also disrupted. No casualties have been reported. The fire is now under control with no active front, but authorities remain on alert for possible re‑ignitions.

Entities

44‑year‑old arson suspect · 44‑year‑old male suspect · 44‑year‑old suspect · DEDDEI · DEDDIE (Greek electricity provider) · DEH (Public Power Company) · Greek Fire Service · Greek Fire Service – Directorate for the Investigation of Arson Crimes · Hellenic Fire Service · Kefalonia · Kefalonia (Greece) · Kefalonia (Greek island)

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.

[○ 1 SOURCE] From 1 January to 2 August 2026, Greek authorities issued 642 administrative fines totaling €952,026.36 related to fire incidents. www.bloko.gr
[● 2 SOURCES] Over 60 firefighters, dozens of vehicles and aerial units (aircraft and a helicopter) were deployed to fight the fire. www.bloko.gr · www.reader.gr
[● 2 SOURCES] The suspect had previous convictions for arson‑related offences. www.bloko.gr · www.reader.gr
[○ 1 SOURCE] During the same period, 257 arrests were made, 228 for negligence and 29 for intentional arson. www.bloko.gr
[● 9 SOURCES] The Directorate for the Investigation of Arson Crimes continued intensive investigations of the suspected fire. www.bloko.gr · www.tromaktiko.gr · www.reader.gr · seleo.gr · www.rthess.gr · +4 more
[● 11 SOURCES] The fire threatened the residential areas of Kremmydi, Markopoulo, Ano Kateleio and Mavratá. www.reader.gr · www.tromaktiko.gr · www.bloko.gr · seleo.gr · www.rthess.gr · +6 more
[● 11 SOURCES] The wildfire burned more than 6,000 stremmata of forest area. www.bloko.gr · www.tromaktiko.gr · www.reader.gr · seleo.gr · www.rthess.gr · +6 more
[● 11 SOURCES] A 44‑year‑old man was arrested for intentional arson, using a naked flame. www.bloko.gr · www.reader.gr · www.tromaktiko.gr · seleo.gr · www.rthess.gr · +6 more
[● 3 SOURCES] Four generators have been deployed in Skala to supply electricity to the island. seleo.gr · pelop.gr · www.cnn.gr
[● 11 SOURCES] The wildfire started on the night of 1 August 2026 at 23:21 in the Pastra area of Kefalonia. www.tromaktiko.gr · www.bloko.gr · www.reader.gr · seleo.gr · www.rthess.gr · +6 more
[● 4 SOURCES] Power outages caused by the fire are expected to exceed 24 hours in the affected areas. www.tromaktiko.gr · www.newsbomb.gr · pelop.gr · www.cnn.gr
[● 2 SOURCES] No casualties have been reported from the wildfire. www.newsbomb.gr · www.iefimerida.gr