A 44-year-old woman in Greece was arrested after it was discovered that she intentionally started two wildfires because "she enjoyed watching firefighters and flirting with them". According to the Greek Reporter, the incidents took place on August 24 and 25, when the woman started the wildfires on farmland in Kerasitsa. The Greek fire department issued a statement confirming the arrest and detailing that the woman, a 44-year-old Greek citizen, deliberately set fires on farmland. The department noted that her actions were not only repeated but also posed a significant threat to the area.
The woman did it because "she enjoyed watching firefighters and flirting with them," the fire department said in a statement, per Greek Reporter.
The suspicion arose when the woman was spotted at both fire sites, prompting an investigation that eventually uncovered her involvement. The outlet reported that her presence at the scene raised red flags, leading authorities to delve deeper into her activities.
It should be noted that the said fires affected only small plots of land, as the fire department responded promptly, per the outlet.
The woman was arrested on August 26 after her motives were revealed to the cops. She has been convicted to 36 months in prison and has to pay a fine of $1,105 (1,000 euro). Moreover, while her prison sentence is on hold, if she commits another crime within a certain time, she will have to serve her time with an additional period for the new crime.
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Meanwhile, in another incident, a 51-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of starting three fires. According to the cops, he set fires intentionally and repeatedly from August 24 to 25 in the settlement of Ypsilon in Drama.
The man appeared before a prosecutor in Drama and was given a 15-month prison sentence with an estimated sentence of three months' imprisonment. Additionally, an administrative fine of just over $1,550 (1,400 euro) has been imposed by authorities.
In Greece, accidentally starting a wildfire is a criminal act, as even the smallest fire can quickly rage out of control under the current conditions. "The law is now stricter than ever and negligence constitutes a criminal act," said Vassilis Kikilias, Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection of Greece.
