The captain and first officer of a yacht have been detained by Greek judicial authorities, facing arson charges in connection with a forest fire on the island of Hydra. The fire is suspected to have been caused by fireworks. Both the captain and first officer, along with the yacht's entire crew, have denied any involvement in the incident. Eleven other crew members have been released on bail, albeit with restrictions.
Forest fires are not uncommon in Greece, but their frequency and intensity have increased in recent years due to warmer, drier and windier conditions, a phenomenon attributed to climate change. In response, Greece has increased penalties for arson.
The fire in question broke out on a Friday night, consuming nearly 300,000 square meters of the island's pine forest before firefighters managed to extinguish it in the early hours of Saturday. The yacht, which was anchored 350 meters offshore at the time of the fire, had 13 Greek crew members on board. They were arrested on Sunday at a marina near Athens and accused of starting the fire. All crew members have consistently denied these charges.
The yacht's operator, Salaminia Yachting Limited, expressed unwavering confidence in the integrity and sincerity of the crew members. A legal source has also suggested there is insufficient evidence to link the crew to the fire. Interestingly, the captain was the first to alert the authorities to the fire, and there were other yachts in the vicinity at the time.
The yacht's foreign passengers have since left the country. Witnesses reported seeing smoke and flames after hearing 15 to 20 loud sounds, similar to exploding fireworks, at 10.30pm on the night of the fire. A witness reported seeing a rubber boat approaching the yacht as the fire spread rapidly, and later noticed a fire extinguisher on the stern of the yacht.
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