Greece fire investigation: Faulty power line suspected as cause
7:08 AM EDT, August 16, 2024
Investigators are examining the circumstances of this year's most serious fire in Greece, which covered an area comparable to the size of Paris. According to preliminary findings, the cause might have been a faulty power line, Reuters reported on Thursday.
The fire broke out on Sunday afternoon in the vicinity of Warnavas, about 22 miles north of Athens, and quickly moved towards the city.
The fire reached the suburbs of the capital, where one person died.
Authorities reported containing the situation on Tuesday. They emphasized that the wind had calmed down, the fire no longer had a single front, and firefighters were combating scattered hotspots.
Reinforcements from several EU countries and Turkey came to assist the Greek services.
An area comparable to Paris was burned
The fire covered a total of 25,000 acres of territory. Nearly 80 homes destroyed by the fire are no longer habitable.
Testimonies were collected from residents of Warnavas as part of the investigation. One resident said that, according to authorities, the cause of the fire could have been a wooden power pole located in front of his house, to which a loosely hanging wire was attached. A fire department representative said that the fire started in the area of this pole.
The investigators' main theory is currently this. They are also examining the possibility of arson. The Greek power grid operator assured that it found no evidence of a malfunction.
On Thursday, the fire department reported that 30 forest and shrub fires had broken out in Greece over the past 24 hours. Authorities issued a warning on Friday of a very high fire risk in several regions.
