Greek mayor detained on arson charges after forest fire near Athens

Greek officials placed a town mayor in pre-trial custody on August 7 after charging him with arson over a forest fire that devastated extensive woodland near Athens last week. The investigation points to a spark from power cables managed by a private company near the seaside settlement of Agios Vasileios as the ignition source. Wind gusts reaching 130 km/h rapidly drove the fire up the southern slopes of Mount Kithairon, eventually reaching a settlement about 40 km from the capital.

Prosecutors also named Giannis Apostolou, owner of an electrical installation firm connected to a local wind farm, and a contractor as co-accused of arson and damaging public utilities. If convicted, each defendant faces a potential prison term exceeding ten years. The case underscores concerns about infrastructure safety and accountability in Greece’s wildfire-prone regions.