The Deputy Mayor of Dionysos, a municipality in northeastern Attica, raised serious concerns today regarding the fire that erupted near the Stamata settlement northeast of Athens on Sunday, June 30. He alleged that an individual on a motorcycle was observed throwing small incendiary devices as respondents were trying to put out the wildfire.
“I viewed footage from the control center. At 25 minutes past the hour, there was a single focal point, and by 31 minutes past, we observed five focal points aligned. This cannot occur naturally; logically, we are discussing arson. Reports indicated a scooter and its rider, dressed in firefighter attire, were seen throwing incendiary devices,” the deputy mayor commented on a Greek TV channel.
The wildfire, which reportedly started in undergrowth along a side road, quickly spread, prompting a significant firefighting effort to contain its advance. As of now, there are no active fire focal points.
Local residents reported hearing multiple explosions during the outbreak of the fire. Tragically, one person suffered a fatal heart attack due to smoke inhalation, and another remains hospitalized with burns. The fire has consumed approximately four acres of land and has destroyed at least two homes.
Efforts to contain the various wildfires across the country continued throughout the night, with authorities battling fronts in Stamata, Keratea, Ritsona, Distomo, and the island of Zakynthos in the Ionian Sea, among others.
