A major fire broke out in Derveni, a village near Thessaloniki, on Thursday morning, 23 July 2026. Residents received an emergency alert via Greece’s 112 system warning of dense smoke engulfing the area.
Arrest Made Amid Ongoing Firefighting Efforts
The blaze spread rapidly and reached significant proportions before being contained. A 51-year-old man was arrested by investigative authorities from the Hellenic Fire Service. According to preliminary findings, he allegedly caused the fire through negligence while carrying out agricultural work using a brush cutter.
National Context: Rising Penalties and Arrests
The Fire Service reported that, since the start of the year, authorities have issued 596 administrative fines totaling €833,993.42 and carried out 214 arrests related to wildfires. Of those arrests, 188 involved cases of negligence and 26 involved intentional acts.