A 56-year-old man accused of causing a fire in Thessaloniki’s Thermi district on Tuesday afternoon has been acquitted by a city court.
The man had faced charges of negligent arson and was referred for trial under the immediate court procedure at a Thessaloniki Single-Member Misdemeanor Court.
According to the Fire Department’s preliminary investigation, the blaze started during fence construction work on the Vasilika-Peristera provincial road, when sparks from a metal hammer striking an iron stake ignited dry grass. The fire spread to crop residues and damaged some olive trees.
The defendant told the court he did not see the sparks and would have stopped work if he had noticed them. He said he immediately alerted the Fire Department and attempted to contain the flames with hoses and buckets until crews arrived.
Ground and aerial firefighting units were deployed, while the 112 emergency alert system was activated for residents. [AMNA]
