Multiple Fires in Greece Linked to Arson, Suspects Arrested

Multiple people have been linked to arson across Greece, as fires rage through nearly every region of the country. Two people were arrested in Agios Stefanos, where fires are still currently spreading. The suspects were apprehended by the bridge of Agios Stefanos on Athinaias Street with a can of gasoline.

The suspects were unable to offer an explanation for why they had the gasoline and were escorted to the State Security. One suspected attempted to convince the authorities he was a volunteer firefighter.

Before this incident a man was arrested in Kalamata for intentional and continuous arson. His case will be brought to the prosecutor on Saturday. A 60-year-old man has been arrested in Fokida on similar charges. Authorities have also detained a suspect in Ilia who is currently undergoing interrogation from the fire brigade.

Arson is taking place across Greece

A woman attempted arson in the Pedion tou Areos neighborhood of Athens twice this afternoon. The woman was arrested and is currently being interrogated by the Kypseli Police Department. Giorgios Patoulis, the current prefect of the Attica region, addressed the arson attempts in Athens, saying that “It is particularly worrying that an attempt was made to set fire to the heart of Athens, in our park. We must all be vigilant and report any suspicious activity. I warmly thank the executives of the fire brigade and the Attica Region who intervened immediately. The fire was brought under control before it spread.”

The attempted arson was witnessed by Elias Marosoulis, the owner of the Alsos theater located in Pedion tou Areos. Marosoulis, speaking to protothema.gr, said that the arsonist threw a towel soaked in gasoline into the entrance of the Aliki theater. Maosoulis acted fast with other witnesses to subdue the fire before firefighters arrived, who then completely extinguished the fire.

In Theologos, where five attempts of arson have been made in the past few days, mayor Thanassis Zekentes said in a statement that “It will last for days because [Theologos] is a place with a dense pine forest and unfortunately there are not enough Fire Brigade forces since they are scattered in so many other areas.”

Deputy Regional Governor of Ilia Vassilis Giannopoulos believes that various fire fronts in the region are the product of a deliberate arson plan. Social media users across the country have been documenting the arson attempts, and posting about being watchful of certain people acting strangely in their areas. Some users claim to have witnessed the arson attempts after noticing suspicious activity with fires immediately following. One Twitter user posted an image of the suspect from Pedion tou Areos as she was being apprehended today:

Αυτο ειναι το μπουμπουκι που εβαλε φωτια στο Πεδιον του Αρεως. Με λιγη πειθω δεν θα μας πει ποιος την πληρωσε, την ορμηνεψε?! pic.twitter.com/WDBFSu5ZNu

— Christa (@Christalakia) August 6, 2021