The 44-year-old woman allegedly set the fires in order to 'flirt' with firefighters who would rush to the scene to extinguish the blaze.
Woman 'Deliberately Started Two Wildfires Because She Liked Watching Firefighters And Wanted To Flirt With Them'
A woman has recently been sentenced after starting two wildfires in Greece for a rather unusual reason.
The 44-year-old deliberately ignited two separate fires so she could interact with the firefighters who came to extinguish them.
Reports indicate that she had tried to start multiple fires, ultimately leading to two wildfires breaking out as a result of her actions.
The woman, who lives in Tripoli, has been given a suspended 36-month prison sentence along with a fine of €1,000 (approximately $1,106) for her crimes.
The fire department confirmed her arrest in a statement.
It noted that she was "arrested today, August 26, 2024, by investigating officers of the Police Department of Tripoli."
The statement continued: “A Greek citizen, who is responsible for causing two fires on farmland, intentionally and repeatedly (on August 24th and 25th), in the area of Kerasitsa, in the Municipality of Tripoli in Arcadia.”
The reason behind her actions was her desire to meet the firefighters.
A statement revealed that she set the fires because "she enjoyed watching firefighters and flirting with them."
According to reports from Greece’s Skai TV, her motivation was to meet a man in uniform.
Her presence at both fires, which were attended by firefighters, raised the suspicion of the responding officers.
The woman’s three-year prison sentence was suspended, meaning she won’t go to jail right away.
However, if she commits another crime during the suspended period, the three-year sentence will be added to any new sentence she might receive.
Fortunately, both fires were confined to small plots of land and were quickly controlled by the fire department.
Wildfires are a serious issue in Greece, especially given the recent terrifying blazes in August 2024.
Some of these fires came alarmingly close to the outskirts of the capital, Athens. Volunteer George, who is 36 years old, told the BBC it was "like hell."
He also said, "We don’t have the resources to beat those conditions."
Thousands of people had to evacuate as the fire spread through forests, farmland, and homes. The cause of the blaze is still under investigation.
Greece has been experiencing successive droughts and heatwaves, which are more intense than usual. This has made large areas of the country particularly vulnerable to wildfires.
Moreover, heatwaves in Greece are becoming hotter and lasting longer.
Dry ground and vegetation allow fires to spread quickly, leading to urgent evacuations as homes are destroyed.