Firefighters in Greece have contained a large blaze outside the southern port city of Patras after an extensive deployment of ground and aerial resources, but the threat of further fires remains high.
The Greek Fire Service confirmed that three people have been arrested in connection with the incident, which officials suspect may have been deliberately started.
Images allegedly showing the suspects have surfaced, including security footage reportedly capturing a 25-year-old man near the scene of a fire moments before it began. He was arrested on Wednesday afternoon in the Girokomeio area and is expected to appear before a prosecutor on Friday.
Two other suspects, aged 27 and 19, were detained in the Sychena district over a separate blaze. Police say the 19-year-old confessed to his involvement, claiming that while riding a motorcycle with the 27-year-old, his companion dismounted, lit the fire, and returned to the bike. They were confronted by concerned citizens before fleeing the scene.
The motorcycle is registered to the 19-year-old’s mother, who has also been taken into custody. The 27-year-old denies the allegations and will likewise face a prosecutor.
The wildfires have already caused severe damage in the Achaia region. The Holy Monastery of St Nicholas in Bala, Patras, has been partially destroyed, with photographs showing part of the roof burnt away. Firefighters, nuns, and volunteers battled to protect the premises after the nuns were safely evacuated. Rescue operations are continuing to move residents and domestic animals from threatened areas.
Civil Protection Minister Ioannis Kefalogiannis urged the public to remain alert, warning: “Under such conditions, even a single spark is enough to trigger an uncontrollable fire. This combination of weather and geographical factors leaves us no room for complacency.”
The European Union’s civil protection agency has dispatched firefighting aircraft from other member states to assist Greece, as part of a wider emergency response to this summer’s surge in catastrophic blazes.
Source: AP News
