A woman has been arrested for allegedly causing one of the wildfires that recently ravaged the Greek island of Chios, as fire crews continue to monitor scorched areas and assess the full extent of the damage.
The suspect, a Georgian national working as a domestic assistant, was taken into custody after reportedly admitting she threw a lit cigarette on the ground in the Leptopoda area on Monday morning — moments before a major fire erupted. She claimed she tried to extinguish it with her foot and expressed regret for the consequences.
“She confessed to her involvement and showed remorse,” a source familiar with the investigation said.
The woman has been arrested for negligent arson. Fire brigade officials confirmed to Reuters that she was arrested on Tuesday night, though the broader investigation remains ongoing.
The incident is one of five fires that broke out on Chios in recent days, burning through more than 4,000 hectares of land, according to the latest satellite data from the EU’s Copernicus programme.
Although the fires have largely been brought under control, authorities warn the risk of flare-ups remains high.
“Patrols have begun, and the watering of still-smoking areas continues intensively,” said Chios Mayor Yiannis Malafis. “At noon, we’ll begin assessing the damage.”
Greece has been bracing for a difficult fire season, with a record 18,000 firefighters deployed and hundreds of millions of euros allocated for prevention, compensation, and new equipment. From July, nearly 300 firefighters from five European countries will join Greek crews to assist through the peak summer period.
Source: Ekathimerini
