The Mayor of the municipality of Penteli in northern Attica, Dimitris Stergiou expressed the view that the Attica wildfire which has so far killed 82 people started from a cut cable belonging to the PPC power network. Speaking to 104.6 THEMA radio, Mr Stergiou, who lives in the area, estimated the deadly blaze that engulfed the east Attica region in a matter of hours, was ignited in the area of Dau Pentelis, estimating it “exploded like an atomic bomb.”

Mr. Stergiou resides in the area and found himself at the point where the lethal fire began, just minutes before it broke out. As he said, he saw the severed cable from the outdated PPC network in the area, adding he informed the Fire Brigade about it.
“I’m surmising it was caused from this. The Investigation Unit of the Fire Brigade came after me.”

Mr. Stergiou said that the municipalities are obliged to have an evacuation plan, and it is their duty to decide and call for the evacuation of their areas. “I do not know why it did not happen,” he said.