Greek Mayor and Two Others Charged with Arson Over Wildfire Near Athens
Greek authorities charged Stylida Mayor Giannis Apostolou, a contractor, and a wind farm owner with arson and damaging public utilities for a wildfire near Athens on July 31, 2026. The blaze, sparked by power cables at a wind farm linked to Apostolou’s company, destroyed over 120 buildings and vast forest and farmland. A prior fire occurred on the same line in June. The wind farm’s operations are suspended; if convicted, the three face over 10 years in prison. The fire is part of a series of blazes since late July that killed five people, including firefighters and helicopter crew. Scientists link such conditions to climate change.
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Greek Mayor and Two Others Charged with Arson Over Wildfire Near Athens
Greek authorities have charged Giannis Apostolou, the mayor of Stylida, along with a contractor and the owner of a wind farm, with arson and damaging public utilities over a major wildfire that broke out near Athens on July 31, 2026. Investigators believe the fire was sparked by power cables at a wind farm near Agios Vasileios, 85 km northwest of Athens. Apostolou owns an electrical installation company linked to the wind farm. The fire, fanned by strong winds, spread rapidly, damaging over 120 buildings and homes in Porto Germeno and ravaging forests and olive groves. The wind farm owner is accused of failing to clear vegetation, and a previous fire on the same power line occurred on June 27. All three face potential jail sentences of over 10 years if convicted. Greece has suffered dozens of blazes since late July, leaving five dead, including three firefighters and two helicopter crew members.
Greek Mayor and Two Others Charged with Arson Over Wildfire Near Athens
Greek authorities have charged Giannis Apostolou, the mayor of Stylida, along with a contractor and a wind farm owner, with arson and damaging public utilities over a major wildfire that broke out near Athens on July 31, 2026. Investigators believe the fire was sparked by power cables at a wind farm owned by Apostolou's electrical installation company near Agios Vasileios. The blaze, fanned by strong winds, spread rapidly, destroying over 120 buildings and homes in Porto Germeno and ravaging forests and olive groves. All three face potential jail sentences of over 10 years if convicted. The wind farm's operations have been suspended, and it was revealed that a similar fire had occurred on the same power line in June. The wildfire is part of a series of blazes in Greece since late July that have killed five people, including three firefighters and two helicopter crew members.
Greek Mayor and Two Others Charged with Arson Over Wildfire Near Athens
Greek authorities have charged Giannis Apostolou, mayor of Stylida, along with a contractor and a wind farm owner, with arson and damaging public utilities over a wildfire that ravaged areas near Athens on July 31. Investigators believe the blaze started from a spark in power cables at a wind farm near Agios Vasileios. The mayor owns an electrical installation company linked to the wind farm. The fire, fanned by winds up to 130 km/h, spread rapidly, damaging over 120 buildings and homes in Porto Germeno and destroying forest, scrubland, and olive groves. A previous fire had occurred on the same power line on June 27. The wind farm's operations have been suspended. If convicted, the three face more than 10 years in prison. The wildfire is part of a series of blazes in Greece since late July that have killed five people, including three firefighters and two helicopter crew members. Scientists link such extreme fire conditions to man-made climate change.
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Greek Mayor and Two Others Charged with Arson Over Wildfire Near Athens
Greek authorities have charged Giannis Apostolou, mayor of Stylida, along with a contractor and a wind farm owner, with arson and damaging public utilities over a wildfire that ravaged areas near Athens on July 31. Investigators believe the blaze started from a spark in power cables at a wind farm near Agios Vasileios. The fire, fanned by winds up to 130 km/h, spread rapidly, damaging over 120 buildings and homes in Porto Germeno and destroying forest, scrubland, and olive groves. The wind farm owner is accused of failing to clear vegetation; a previous fire had occurred on the same power line on June 27. All three face over 10 years in prison if convicted. The wildfire is part of a series of blazes in Greece since late July that have killed five people, including three firefighters and two helicopter crew members. Scientists link the extreme conditions to man-made climate change.
Greek Mayor and Two Others Charged with Arson Over Wildfire Near Athens
Greek authorities have charged Giannis Apostolou, mayor of Stylida, along with a contractor and a wind farm owner, with arson and damaging public utilities over a wildfire that ravaged areas near Athens on July 31. Investigators believe the blaze was sparked by power cables at a wind farm near Agios Vasileios. The mayor owns an electrical installation company linked to the wind farm. The fire, fanned by winds up to 130 km/h, spread rapidly, damaging over 120 buildings and homes in Porto Germeno and destroying forest, scrubland, and olive groves. A previous fire had occurred on the same power line on June 27. The wind farm's operations have been suspended. If convicted, the three face over 10 years in prison. The wildfire is part of a series of blazes in Greece since late July that have killed five people, including three firefighters and two helicopter crew members. Scientists link such extreme fire conditions to climate change.