Greek mayor and two others detained over wildfire that burned 11,000 hectares near Athens

Arrests and charges

Greek judicial authorities placed three people in pre-trial detention on Friday, 7 August 2026, after a marathon interrogation that began on the morning of Wednesday, 5 August, and lasted approximately 20 hours before an investigating judge. The three detained are the mayor of Stylida, Giannis Apostolou (referred to as Ioannis Apostolou in some sources), a town about 140 km northwest of Athens; the owner of the wind farm where the fire originated; and a technical manager or contractor for the company that carried out work at the facility. They are charged with "arson in a forest" and "damaging public utilities." All three could face more than 10 years in prison, and up to life imprisonment under the Greek penal code, which Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis's government toughened in 2021 for arson committed either through negligence or intentionally. The mayor also owns an electrical installation company linked to the wind farm.

How the fire started

According to the initial findings of the fire service investigation, the blaze began on 31 July after a spark from medium-voltage power cables at a wind farm near Agios Vasilios, a seaside village at the foot of a mountain 85 km northwest of Athens. The cables were managed by a private company. The mayor's electrical installation company had been responsible for laying the cables in the Boeotia region. Investigators believe contact between the cables produced the spark, and that vegetation around the network had not been cleared, allowing the fire to take hold. The owner of the wind turbines is specifically accused of failing to clear the vegetation. A fire had already broken out on the same power line on 27 June, according to the Greek news agency ANA. The wind farm, installed more than 10 years ago on the border between Boeotia and Attica, had faced opposition from local residents who filed a legal challenge against its construction, without success. Authorities have temporarily suspended operations at the wind farm.

Spread and damage

Wind gusts reaching 130 km/h over the weekend pushed the fire across Mount Kithairon, near Athens, burning more than 11,000 hectares over five days. The fire damaged forest, scrubland, and olive groves, and more than 120 buildings and homes were damaged in the seaside resort of Porto Germeno on the Gulf of Corinth. According to ANA, about 40 buildings have been assessed as fit for demolition, and about 40 others declared uninhabitable. The state has activated a public assistance programme including immediate housing aid, compensation, and support measures for those whose homes, businesses, and agricultural holdings were destroyed.

Government response

Prime Minister Mitsotakis deplored the "grave environmental damage" on Wednesday and pledged government support for regeneration.

We will do everything in our power to favour natural regeneration.

Environment and Energy Minister Stavros Papastavrou announced on Thursday that the affected zones will be reforested within the next 30 days, with the ministry systematically monitoring the natural regeneration of ecosystems.

Broader wildfire season

Since the end of July, Greece has suffered dozens of fires, including on the tourist islands of Paros and Crete, at the height of the tourist season. The fires have left five people dead, including three firefighters. Two crew members of a helicopter fighting the flames also died in a collision with another aircraft.