Fires in Greece today 2025: Man, 25, arrested for trying to ignite new blazes in Patras - arson probes also under way in Zante and Preveza
Authorities in Patras, Greece, have arrested a 25-year-old man on suspicion of attempted arson.
Police detained a man accused of trying to ignite new fires in a rural area of Patras, as other wildfires burned nearby. According to police, the suspect was spotted in a rural field bending down and trying to ignite a fresh fire.
Witnesses photographed and filmed the incident before alerting law enforcement. The man allegedly attempted to flee the scene on his motorcycle after setting the blaze, but was intercepted and taken into custody shortly before 6 p.m.
The suspected arson attempt occurred while other active wildfire fronts were already threatening the wider Patras area. An investigation is underway by the Patras Division for the Prosecution and Detection of Crimes to determine the circumstances and possible motives behind the act.
Arson probes are underway in multiple regions. Evidence in Zante points to a 59-year-old suspect previously arrested for arson.
In Preveza, witnesses link fires to a motorcyclist and, in another case, to sparks from a power pylon. In Patra, footage allegedly shows suspicious movements near the fire’s origin point. Similar investigations on Chios focus on possible sparks from high-voltage lines.
According to satellite images analyzed by the National Observatory of Athens, an estimated 10,000 hectares of land had burned in the country over the past few days until Wednesday. Authorities urge the public to avoid any fire-starting activities and to immediately call 199 to report fires.