Greek authorities have arrested two men, one of them a foreign national, for the fires that broke out in Markopoulos and Ritsona in north-eastern Attica on Monday morning.
The fire in Markopoulos broke out in a makeshift landfill, burned garbage and tires and went out of control due to the wind.
A message from the 112 emergency line was sent to residents short after 12 o’ clock noon in the districts surrounding Markopoulos warning them of toxic smoke being emitted by a fire at a waste transportation site in the area.
The message advised people to stay indoors and close their doors and windows and follow the instructions of the authorities.
Firefighters rushed to the area and also water-dropping helicopters were deployed to extinguish the fire.
A few hours later, officers of the Fire Department’s Arson Crimes Division arrested a 60-year-old man from Bulgaria for the fire in Markopoulos. In addition, the man was fined with 3,712.5 euros.
In Ritsona, a 28-year-old Greek man was reportedly arrested for doing agricultural work in his field. He was fined 2,250 and the prosecutor was informed.
It should be noted that fires in open areas are forbidden during the fire season from May to October.
Every year Greece suffers from wildfires due to negligence or arson and has thousands of hectares and unknown number of wildlife burned down, while people’s lives are often at risk.
