A man has been arrested on suspicion of deliberately setting three fires in western Athens late Tuesday, the fire service said Wednesday.
The fires broke out in three separate locations on a roadside embankment covered with dry grass near the intersection of Kifissos and Athinon avenues in Egaleo.
Investigators allege the suspect – identified as a Pakistani national – started the fires at about 11.30 p.m. using a cigarette lighter. He was arrested by the fire service’s arson investigation unit and was due to appear before a prosecutor Wednesday.
The fire service said 314 people have been arrested over fire-related offenses since the beginning of 2026, including 35 suspected of deliberately starting fires. The remaining 279 arrests involved fires attributed to negligence.
Authorities have also issued 741 administrative fines totaling more than €1.2 million this year.
