13 people arrested after fireworks on yacht spark forest fire – DW – 06/22/2024

The mayor of the island of Hydra, Greece, said on Saturday he was “furious” that the island's only pine forest had been burned by careless boaters.

Authorities say 13 people were arrested after starting the fire while setting off fireworks from a yacht. They reportedly attempted to put out the fire, but fled the scene when their efforts proved unsuccessful.

Firefighters were forced to try to put out the fire from the air and from the sea as it was inaccessible by road.

So far they have failed to bring the fire under control.

Mayor Giorgos Koukoudakis said his community would press charges against the suspects, but also stressed the need to expand fire zones and create access roads for firefighters.

Greece significantly increased penalties for deliberate and negligent arson last year, with fines of up to €200,000 ($214,000) and prison terms of up to 20 years now possible.

According to authorities, 64 forest and brush fires broke out in Greece in the last 24 hours. High temperatures and strong winds have complicated the situation, which has so far been blamed on one death.

Regional firefighters warn that the risk of forest fires in Greece is currently extremely high.

After an exceptionally mild winter, Greece experienced its first heatwave of the summer last week, when temperatures topped 44 degrees Celsius (111 degrees Fahrenheit).

Last year, a two-week heatwave was followed by weeks of deadly fires that left 20 people dead.

js/lo (AFP, dpa)