Investigators suspect a faulty power cable may have caused Greece’s worst wildfire this year, according to Ekathimerini.
The fire began on Sunday, August 11 about 35 kilometers northeast of Athens at Varnavas town, burning numerous homes and businesses and sending a blanket of smoke and ash over the city center. One woman was killed.
Authorities have questioned Varnavas residents as part of their investigation into what caused the fire. Officials said a 76-year-old man told them a wooden electricity pillar outside his home, which had a loose cable fastened to it with a hanger, could have triggered it.
That scenario was the leading one in the probe, which should be concluded over the coming months. Arson was also being considered.
Greece’s power network operator HEDNO, said it had found no evidence of a malfunction.
“We have no indication that anything wrong such as a short-circuit happened,” an official at HEDNO told Reuters adding that only the relevant authorities were responsible for determining the fire’s cause.
Source: Ekathimerini.
