How to define indecency? Perhaps with this information from Greece: the local firefighters told us this Saturday that the forest fire which affected the paradise (and tourist) island of Hydra, near Athens, was triggered by… the shooting of fireworks from a yacht Friday evening.
“The fire, caused by fireworks from a boat, burns the only pine forest on the island, in a place that is difficult to access and has no road”, denounced the fire fighters on Facebook, sparking anger on social networks. The fire was quickly brought under control and no longer threatens the Hydra forest.
Thirteen people arrested
The island’s mayor, Giorgos Koukoudakis, said he was “outraged” on public television channel ERT. He added that “the municipality would file a civil suit against those responsible for the fire as soon as the preliminary investigation was completed.”
Thirteen people accused of starting this fire were arrested on Saturday after the investigation carried out by the firefighters and must be presented to the prosecutor on Sunday, according to a press release from the firefighters.
Up to twenty years in prison
Greece recently toughened penalties for arson. The perpetrators of the fires can now be sentenced to up to twenty years in prison and a fine of up to 200,000 euros.
No stranger to heat waves, Greece has been preparing for weeks for a particularly difficult summer in terms of heatwaves and forest fires. Last week it went through its first heatwave with temperatures locally reaching more than 44°C. The country had already experienced devastating fires that caused more than twenty deaths and a two-week heatwave of more than 40°C, unprecedented in its duration, in 2023.
