Officers from the Hellenic Fire Service arson division have arrested two men in Greece after separate fires broke out on Thursday in Evia and Chios.
Investigators reported that both blazes on August 27 were caused by negligence during outdoor maintenance work, leading to immediate arrests under flagrant crime procedures.
In Kato Monokarya, near Istiaia on the island of Evia, a 49-year-old local man was arrested after allegedly starting a fire around 12:15 pm while operating an angle grinder.
Officers from the Arson Crime Investigation Squad based in Chalkida detained the suspect and issued an administrative fine of 3,282.25 euros.
Second fire reported in Chios
Earlier that morning at around 11:15 am, a separate fire broke out in the Viki region of Chios when a 68-year-old local man was using a motorized brush cutter.
Investigative officers from the Chios Fire Service arrested the man under flagrant crime procedures following the incident.
Rise in fire enforcement actions
The arrests follow an intensified enforcement campaign by Greek authorities to curb negligent fire hazards during the dry summer period.
Between January 1 and August 27, 2026, the Hellenic Fire Service imposed 744 administrative fines totaling 1,219,599.80 euros for safety infractions across the country.
Authorities have carried out 316 flagrant procedure arrests over the same period. Negligence accounted for 281 of those arrests, representing 88.92 percent of cases, while 35 arrests, or 11.08 percent, involved intentional arson.
Fire service maintains high alert
The Directorate for Combating Arson Crimes and regional fire investigation teams confirmed they are maintaining high operational readiness, carrying out intensive checks and assigning liability wherever violations occur.
Evia, Greece's second-largest island, and Chios, located in the Aegean Sea, frequently face dry and windy summer weather conditions that heighten wildfire hazards.
The Hellenic Fire Service warned that the overwhelming majority of fires are caused by human carelessness, reminding citizens that adhering to fire safety rules and avoiding spark-producing machinery are crucial to protecting human life, property, and natural ecosystems.
