How Greece’s neglected power grid fuels wildfire destruction


  • World
  • Wednesday, 24 Sep 2025

FILE PHOTO: Local residents watch as a wildfire burns in Keratea, near Athens, Greece, August 8, 2025. REUTERS/Stelios Misinas/File Photo

ATHENS (Reuters) -When Greek firefighters investigated the cause of a deadly wildfire near the Athens Riviera in August, they found a familiar culprit: a loose power cable whose sparks were blown across a field of dry grass in a windstorm.

The investigators' report, seen by Reuters, said the cable near the town of Keratea showed signs of oxidation and improper maintenance. Within hours, the blaze had killed one person and burned 4,000 acres (16 square km) of land abutting tourist beaches south of the capital.

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