Η πυρκαγιά που ξέσπασε το περασμένο Σάββατο σε αγροτεμάχιο με ελαιόδεντρα, σύμφωνα με την ενημέρωση της Πυροσβεστικής στην τοποθεσία Αγία Φωτιά στους πρόποδες των Αστερουσίων, στο νομό Ηρακλείου, επεκτάθηκε γρήγορα λόγω των θυελλωδών ανέμων, καίγοντας παραπλήσια ξηρά χόρτα και θάμνους. Όπως έγραψε το Cretalive.gr, υπαίτιος της φωτιάς ήταν ένας 49χρονος, για τον οποίο σχηματίστηκε δικογραφία.
Winds, Flames, and a Growing Pattern
It started with a spark—literally.
On Saturday, in the low hills of Agia Fotia, just beneath the Asterousia range, a fire ignited in an olive grove. The location is no stranger to summer flare-ups, but this time, gale-force winds turned a small burn into a racing front.
In minutes, it was no longer about a single field. Dry grass, thirsty shrubs, and a gusty south wind gave the flames everything they needed to spread.
Local fire units rushed to contain the blaze, working against a backdrop of smoke and stubborn terrain. According to the Hellenic Fire Service, the incident could have escalated far worse had it reached the denser forested ridges above.
One Man, One Match, One Report
It didn’t take long to find the source.
As Cretalive.gr reported, a 49-year-old man has been identified as the person responsible. Whether it was negligence or deliberate remains to be seen—but a case file has already been drawn against him.
What was he doing? Lighting a fire? Burning debris? Authorities haven’t confirmed. But one thing is clear: the legal system is now involved, and residents are losing patience.
Fire Season in Crete
Agia Fotia is just one dot on the map. But locals across Crete are beginning to ask the hard questions:
- Why are people still burning waste during peak wind days?
- Where are the patrols and the enforcement?
- How many more olive groves must burn before this changes?
This summer has already tested the island’s fire defenses. From Vianos to Mesara, rural areas are proving especially vulnerable—not just to nature, but to human carelessness.In a land that has survived centuries of drought, conquest, and salt winds, it’s not fire itself that shocks the locals—it’s how preventable it always was.
