Wildfires: Mayor of Stylida arrested – His construction company under investigation

Authorities arrested two people yesterday as part of the investigation into the devastating fire that began in Boeotia and spread into Attica.

Among those arrested is the mayor of Stylida, Ioannis Apostolou.

According to information, the mayor’s arrest is linked to the construction company he owns, which had undertaken the construction of a private overhead electricity transmission network from a nearby wind farm.

Despite initial reports attributing the outbreak of the fire to sparks from the wind turbines themselves, officers from the Directorate for Combating Arson Crimes (DAEE) reached a different conclusion.

The site inspection and questioning revealed serious construction failures in the transmission network, as a result of which the fire was caused by intense electrical arcing between two cable conductors.

The Fire Service briefing

“From the first hours after the outbreak of the major fire in Boeotia, which spread into Attica, specialised officers from the Directorate for Combating Arson Crimes (DAEE) went to the points of origin and undertook the investigation into the causes and circumstances of the fire.

DAEE investigators carried out extensive on-site inspections, took witness statements, collected critical evidence and examined video footage recording the first minutes after the fire broke out.

At the same time, a specialised inspection was conducted at ground zero, where it was established that the fire had started, with the assistance of a court-appointed expert electrical engineer.

The combined assessment of the findings showed that the conductors on the private network transmitting electricity generated by the wind turbines to the main power grid began to oscillate, causing electrical arcing. The sparks fell to the ground, starting the fire, which grew to a large scale and spread from Boeotia into Attica. The investigation focused on those responsible for the design, construction, supervision and proper operation of the specific private network.

Two Greek nationals were arrested under the in flagrante procedure. One, an electrical engineer, had signed off on the project’s design and supervision, while the second, acting as the contractor, had undertaken the construction of the electricity transmission network.

A case file was opened against them for arson with conditional intent, classified as a felony.

The case file also includes the owner of the wind turbine company, who was sought under the in flagrante procedure but was not located.

The two people arrested will be brought before the competent prosecutorial authority.

The Directorate for Combating Arson Crimes (DAEE) is continuing its investigation into the case, examining all technical evidence, witness testimony and video material, with the aim of fully establishing the circumstances in which the fire broke out and spread, as well as determining any further criminal liability.”