Authorities in Greece have arrested more than 280 people in connection with fires since the beginning of the year. Of these arrests, 252 were for fires started through negligence and 29 were for deliberate fires, according to Greek fire brigade spokesperson Yannis Artopios.
On Tuesday, Greek firefighters recorded 43 fires.
Number of people arrested in Greece for fire-related offenses since the start of the year.
Individual cases and legal sanctions
In Thessaloniki, a 59-year-old man is suspected of causing at least five fires over a two-week period. He told Greek prosecutors he acted due to pressures suffered at work, according to the public broadcaster ERT. The suspect is scheduled to appear before an investigating judge on Friday.
In the Athens region, a 33-year-old man was arrested after lighting a portable barbecue in a wooded area and was fined 3,000 euros.
In 2024, Greek authorities imposed 1,525 fines for fire-related offenses, totaling 1.7 million euros. In 2025, 779 fines were imposed, totaling 970,000 euros.
Climate crisis and weather alerts
Greek Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Minister Evangelos Tournas stated that more than 400 fires had to be faced in ten days, citing very unfavorable weather conditions and violent winds.
Greece’s state apparatus will be on maximum alert on Thursday, with a fire risk level 5 assigned to Attica, central Greece, and the northeast Peloponnese.
We had to face more than 400 fires.
Experts noted that between 2017 and 2026, 15 major fires burned 42% of the total forest area in Attica, with the figure reaching 64% in western Attica.
