Greek fire officials arrest two for arson as multiple wildfires rage

Greek fire department officials arrested two men on Saturday for allegedly deliberately starting wildfires as hundreds of firefighters battle blazes that have been blamed for 21 deaths.

One man was arrested on Evia for allegedly deliberately setting fire to dried grass in the island's Karystos area. The fire department said the man confessed to having set four other fires in the area in July and August.

A second man was arrested in the Larissa area in central Greece, also for allegedly deliberately setting fire to dried vegetation. Judicial authorities were informed in both cases.

Officials have said arson has been to blame for several fires in Greece over the past week, although it is still unclear what sparked the country's largest blazes – including one in the northeastern region of Evros and Alexandroupolis where nearly all the fire-attributed deaths have occurred, and another on the fringes of Athens.

According to Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Minister Vassilis Kikilias, "arsonists are setting fires, endangering forests, property and above all human lives.

"You are committing a crime against the country," he said. "We will find you. You will be held accountable to justice."

Later that day, police arrested a 45-year-old man on suspicion of arson for allegedly setting at least three fires in the Avlona area. A search of his home revealed kindling, a fire torch gun and pine needles, police said.

Greece has been plagued by the daily outbreak of dozens of fires over the past week as gale-force winds and hot, dry summer conditions combine to whip up flames and hamper firefighting efforts.

Greece imposes wildfire prevention regulations, typically from the start of May to the end of October, to limit activities such as the