On Saturday, June 22, Greek authorities arrested 13 people on a yacht, including crew members and passengers. It is alleged that the fireworks set off on the yacht sparked a forest fire on the island of Hydra.
The fire destroyed a portion of the island’s only pine forest located in the remote Bisti area. Firefighters managed to control the blaze earlier on Saturday.
The fire department stated in a press release that the individuals will face prosecutor’s trial on Sunday. The press release did not disclose the name of the yacht or the identities of the individuals.
An official familiar with the incident told Reuters, “These people were arrested after being accused of setting off fireworks from the yacht on Friday night, igniting the forest fire.” The official mentioned that the individuals were arrested at a dock in the Athens area.
Hydra island is situated in the Saronic Gulf, southwest of Athens, and is a popular destination among foreign tourists.
“We feel angry,” said George Koukoudakis, the Mayor of Hydra, to the national television station, “If this is true, it makes me sad.”
Greece is currently facing a new wave of summer wildfires. Firefighters reported that several forest fires intensified by strong winds have struck southern Greece, leading to evacuations and one fatality.
A firefighter stated that a 55-year-old man was injured in a fire in the Ilia region of the Peloponnese peninsula and died in the hospital.
Approximately 120 firefighters, assisted by dozens of fire trucks, were deployed to extinguish a forest fire in the Achaia region, which quickly spread to the nearby Ilia region and escalated out of control.
Vasilis Vathrakogiannis, the spokesman for the Greek Fire Brigade, mentioned that fueled by winds reaching speeds of up to 120 km/h (75 mph), about 45 wildfires erupted in Greece within a few hours.
Wildfires are common in Greece, but in recent years, they have become more destructive due to hot and dry summer conditions.
Last week, a wildfire near Athens forced dozens of people to flee their homes. Authorities believe it was caused by arson and exacerbated by the hot and dry weather.