Israeli arrested in Greece for negligent arson after BBQ sparks wildfire

Greek authorities announced the arrest of a 35-year-old Israeli national on suspicion of starting a wildfire on the island of Crete, as the country battled a seasonal spurt of deadly blazes.

The man, who was not named, was accused of lighting a barbecue in a forested area near the town of Rethimno on Crete’s northern coast, despite a burn ban being in effect across the island, according to the E-Kathimerini news site.

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According to Walla, authorities suspect that embers from the barbecue were carried by high winds from the guesthouse where he was staying, sparking the fire.

He was accused of negligent arson.

Firefighters managed to get the blaze under control after four hours, according to the report.

Last week, the Greek fire service announced that more than 280 people have been arrested in Greece this year so far over fire-related offenses. The figure is down on the previous two years, after the Greek government toughened penalties against those found guilty of starting fires in recent years.

Those responsible for starting fires in Greece now face sentences of up to 20 years in prison and fines of up to 200,000 euros.

After largely escaping the heatwave temperatures that blanketed much of Europe earlier this summer, Greece has been hit with several major wildfires since late July, fuelled by unusually strong winds.

Thirty-six blazes have broken out over the past day around Greece, the fire department said Sunday, including a pair of blazes Sunday on the island of Salamis that killed two people.

Winds were expected to ease later Sunday. According to the civil protection ministry, no area will be above 3 out of 5 on the national fire risk scale on Monday for the first time in 10 days.

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