A massive wildfire that broke out early Friday afternoon in Keratea, on the eastern outskirts of Athens, has killed one person and caused widespread destruction.
According to the National Observatory of Athens, the blaze scorched 1,581 hectares of forest and grassland between Keratea and Anavyssos before being brought under control early Saturday.
The fire claimed the life of a 76-year-old man and damaged homes, vehicles, and other property.
Authorities warn that fire risk will remain extreme on Sunday in the greater Athens area, Viotia, and Evia, according to the General Secretariat for Civil Protection.
Investigators from the Fire Service’s Arson Investigation Unit believe sparks from a severed medium-voltage cable owned by the Hellenic Electricity Distribution Network Operator (DEDDIE) ignited dry grass at the base of a utility pole.
Two DEDDIE employees detained on suspicion of negligence in network maintenance were released Sunday by order of the prosecutor, who has requested further investigation to determine whether criminal charges should be filed.
Security footage from a nearby house reportedly shows no vehicles passing in the ten minutes before the fire began.
In a separate incident, another large wildfire in Ilia, western Peloponnese, burned nearly 800 hectares of farmland and forest before being contained on Saturday.
Source: Ekathimerini.
