Tripoli, Greece
A bizarre incident in Greece led to the arrest of a 44-year-old woman from Tripoli, Greece after she intentionally started two wildfires. According to reports, she did so to watch firefighters and flirt with them, which led to her arrest and sentencing.
The incident happened on August 24 and 25, when the woman started the wildfires on farmland in Kerasitsa. According to the police, she was present at both locations, which led to suspicion. After investigation, it was found that she had deliberately started the two fires to meet and flirt with firefighters who would come to control the fire.
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The woman was arrested on August 26 after her motives were revealed to the police. According to the local media Skai TV, she has been convicted to 36 months in prison and has to pay a fine of $1105 (€1,000).
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.
There are no reports of injuries on the scene as the firefighters responded quickly both times, though it damaged small plots of land.
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In another incident, a 51-year-old man was detained on suspicion of starting three fires. It was revealed that he started the fires intentionally, which landed him a fine of $1,550 imposed by the authorities.
Greece has been witnessing a rise in wildfires due to hot and dry conditions. Weeks before, wildfires in Athens caused an alarm for residents and tourists who had to be evacuated. Even the smallest fires can result in a massive disaster. To prevent such situation, starting a wildfire even accidentally is a punishable offence in Greece.
(With inputs from agencies)