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.

Sponsored Sony WH-1000XM5 Review: Still the ANC King in 2026? See the review →

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.

As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.

This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world. 

If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.

— Gabriella Jacobs, multimedia journalist

We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.

That’s why we started the Times of Israel – to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.

So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.

For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.

Thank you, David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel