Faulty power cable likely sparked Greece’s deadliest wildfire this year

Investigators zero down on wooden electricity pole with loose cable as point of origin

A faulty power cable may have sparked Greece's most devastating wildfire this year that scorched an area the size of Paris and left one person dead earlier this month.

An ongoing investigation into the cause of the wildfire that started in a forest near Varnavas, about 35km from the capital Athens, has reportedly found that a loose cable on a wooden pole could have been the spark.

Investigators have been questioning residents of Varnavas and one of them, a 76-year-old man, informed them about a pole outside his home, Reuters quoting unnamed sources as saying.

A fire brigade official, who spoke to the news agency anonymously, confirmed that the area near this electricity pole was likely the fire’s point of origin.

Investigators have not ruled out arson, however.

A home left damaged by a wildfire in the Chalandri suburb of Athens (AFP via Getty)

Some local media reports have quoted residents as saying that they heard explosions before the fire broke out, with some suggesting there were initially two separate fires.

A prosecutor overseeing the investigation has enlisted engineers to examine the potential causes of the fire.

Greece’s electricity network operator, HEDNO, has said it found no evidence of a malfunction. “We have no indication that anything like a short circuit occurred,” a HEDNO official told Reuters while emphasising that only the relevant authorities could determine the true cause of the wildfire.

A view of a burned warehouse in Nea Penteli suburb of Athens (AP)

The fire began on 11 August and quickly spread into the northern suburbs of Athens, charring 10,000 hectares of land.

Although wildfires have long been a feature of Greek summers, often attributed to human activity or natural causes, their frequency and intensity have reportedly increased in recent years because of the climate crisis, which has brought hotter, drier conditions to the region.

Greece recorded over 8,000 forest fires in 2023 alone.

A drone view shows a charred forest area around a marble quarry following a wildfire in Dionysos, near Athens, Greece (Reuters)

The latest wildfire, fueled by high temperatures and strong winds, covered a distance of 40km before reaching the Athens suburbs of Penteli and Vrilissia, where it claimed the life of a woman.

Though milder winds have since calmed the flames, authorities have warned of flare-ups as winds are expected to intensify again.

The devastating wildfire occurred during a week-long high fire risk alert, with Greece experiencing a hot and dry summer after its warmest winter on record. Firefighters said these conditions created the perfect storm for fire disasters.