Voice Desk, 23 August – Greek police have detained a 35-year-old Israeli tourist over allegations that a barbecue at a rented villa contributed to a wildfire on the island of Crete.
The fire broke out on Friday evening, August 21, near the village of Selliá in southern Rethymno, close to the tourist town of Plakias. The tourist was detained on Saturday and could appear before a court in Rethymno on Sunday.
According to local media reports, the fire started at around 7:11 p.m. local time in the yard of a rented villa where a group of Israeli tourists were staying.
A preliminary investigation by the Greek Fire Service’s arson investigation unit reportedly found that the tourists had been using a barbecue despite strong winds and a high fire-risk warning. Barbecue use had been completely banned in the area, and the villa’s owner said the guests had been given written warnings about the restriction.
Investigators suspect that sparks from the barbecue were carried by the wind onto dry vegetation, triggering the blaze and allowing it to spread rapidly across nearby open areas.
Several fire service units were dispatched to the scene, with firefighters, water tankers, helicopters and volunteers joining the operation. The fire was brought under control after about four hours.
Greece has been battling a series of wildfires in recent weeks. Just two weeks earlier, a major blaze swept through parts of the Rethymno region. Data from the National Observatory of Athens indicated that around 45,000 units of vegetation and land in southern Rethymno were burned within two days.
More than 8,000 residents and tourists were evacuated during that earlier fire. Some 224 firefighters, 53 fire engines and 11 specialist units were deployed, while aircraft and helicopters were used for aerial firefighting.
Two firefighters were killed during the operation. Strong winds, reaching speeds of up to 88 kilometres per hour and exceeding 100 kilometres per hour in some areas, made firefighting efforts particularly difficult.
Following the recent fires, Greek authorities have tightened enforcement of fire-prevention rules. Barbecues are completely prohibited on days of high fire risk, while burning dry vegetation and other activities that could create sparks or ignite fires are also banned.
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