Grim blaze near Athens devastates 10,000 hectares, sparks probe
16 August 2024 06:44
Investigators are examining the circumstances of the most severe fire in Greece this year, which covered an area comparable to the size of Paris. According to preliminary findings, the cause could have been a faulty power line, Reuters reported on Thursday.
The fire broke out on Sunday afternoon in the vicinity of Warnavas, about 35 kilometres north of Athens, and quickly moved towards the city.
The fire reached the suburbs of the capital, resulting in one fatality.
On Tuesday, authorities reported containing the situation. They emphasized that the wind had calmed down, and the fire had stopped having a single front, with firefighters tackling scattered hotspots.
Reinforcements from several EU countries and Turkey came to assist the Greek services.
An area comparable to Paris was burned
The fire covered 10,000 hectares. Nearly 80 homes were destroyed and are no longer habitable.
Testimonies were collected from residents of Warnavas as part of the investigation. One resident stated that the cause of the fire could have been a wooden power pole located in front of his house, to which a loosely hanging wire was attached, authorities reported. A fire department representative noted that the fire started in the area of this pole.
This is currently the leading theory of the investigators, though the possibility of arson is also being explored. The Greek power grid operator assured that it found no evidence of a malfunction.
On Thursday, the fire department reported that 30 forest and shrub fires broke out in Greece over the past 24 hours. On Friday, authorities issued a warning of very high fire risk for several regions.
