Rethymno wildfire kills two firefighters, DEDDIE official released with travel ban
A massive wildfire swept through southern Rethymno, Crete, burning more than 45,000 stremmas (about 11,100 acres) of forest, farmland and homes. The blaze claimed the lives of two firefighters and left villages, the historic Preveli palm forest and coastal areas covered in ash and charred debris. Authorities kept firefighting units on high alert as winds eased, while a temporary accommodation platform was set up for displaced residents.
In the judicial aftermath, the head of network operations for the regional electricity distributor DEDDIE was brought before the investigating magistrate. He faces charges of arson through negligence linked to the fire that started near the Kria Vrysi area. The court released him on restrictive conditions: a ban on leaving Greece and a requirement to report regularly to the local police station. He denies the accusations, and his defence lawyer described the process as “particularly difficult,” saying public pressure after the disaster led to hasty procedural actions. The official has cooperated fully with investigators, according to his counsel.
Entities: Andreas Argyropoulos (defence lawyer) · Andreas Argyrópoulos · DEDDEI (Greek electricity distribution company) · DEDDIE · DEDDIE (Hellenic Electricity Distribution Network Operator) · DEDDIE Rethymno network manager · Greek Prosecutor's Office · Greek judiciary · Kriá Vrysi · Kriá Vrysi area · Network operations manager (unnamed) · Preveli forest
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 2 SOURCES] The accused denies responsibility and says he is only responsible for network restoration. (new)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The accused remains in custody since Thursday night. (6843f97f-3a75-41f1-9bd8-124111459c58)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] DEDDIE says only about 1 % of fires are actually attributable to the electricity network. (new)
- [● 2 SOURCES] He is charged with arson with possible intent, a felony, for the wildfire that killed two firefighters. (new)
- [DISPUTED] The wildfire occurred in the Kriá Vrysi area and resulted in the deaths of two firefighters. (new)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Prosecutors upgraded the charges to arson by omission. (new)
- [● 4 SOURCES] The 62‑year‑old network operations manager of DEDDIE Rethymno appeared before the investigating magistrate. (new)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Investigators suggest the fire may have been caused by vibration and sparking of medium‑voltage lines in strong winds, with no clear evidence of a spark. (new)