45-year-old Ukrainian woman arrested in Chania for arson after setting fire to personal items on dry grass near forest

The incident

On Friday, June 26, 2026, at 12:45 p.m., a fire broke out at "Moni Agiou Georgiou" in the Charodia Mournion area of Chania, after a citizen reported the blaze. Fire investigators found that a 45-year-old Ukrainian woman had gathered personal items, including clothing, into a pile and set them alight with an open flame on dry grass. The site was dangerously close to forest vegetation, raising the risk of a larger wildfire.

She placed personal items in a pile and burned them with an open flame in an area with dry grass, creating a risk of fire ignition and spread, as forest vegetation was located at a very short distance.

Escape and arrest

After starting the fire, the suspect fled in a vehicle bearing Ukrainian license plates. Investigators from the Chania branch of the Directorate for Combating Arson Crimes (DAEE), with assistance from the Hellenic Police, quickly located the parked vehicle in the yard of a residence in the Chania area. The woman was arrested and, according to the fire service, confessed to the act. A case file was prepared, and she was taken to the competent prosecutor under the flagrante delicto procedure.

Broader fire enforcement landscape

The arrest is part of Greece's intensified fire season enforcement. From January 1 through June 27, 2026, authorities imposed 480 administrative fines totaling €544,579.79 and made 126 arrests in flagrante delicto proceedings. Of those arrests, 118 (93.65%) involved fires caused by negligence, while only 8 (6.35%) were for intentional arson.

The DAEE and fire service investigative units remain on heightened operational readiness, conducting intensive checks and moving immediately to assign responsibility where violations are found.