Glyfada: Each of the two 14-year-olds will be fined €4,640.60 for the fire in Glyfada – They will be referred to the juvenile prosecutor

Each of the two middle school students who were arrested for the fire in Glyfada on Monday evening has been fined €4,640.60.

According to the Fire Department announcement, the two 14-year-olds were apprehended by officials from the Arson Crimes Division (D.A.E.E.).

As the arrests were made within the framework of the procedure, the minors will be referred today to the Juvenile Prosecutor of the Athens First Instance Court.

Fire Department Announcement:

The two minors were arrested yesterday, August 12, 2024, by investigative officers from the Arson Crimes Division (D.A.E.E.) for arson in a forested area in the Terpsithea region of Glyfada, Attica, and were each fined €4,640.60.

The aforementioned minors and their guardians will be referred today, August 13, 2024, to the Juvenile Prosecutor of the Athens First Instance Court.

The two 14-year-olds, along with their parents, were taken to the Glyfada Police Department where they provided statements.

According to a post by the Glyfada Municipality, the fire was caused by arson. “Two young individuals were seen ‘in the act’, were chased by residents, identified, and arrested by the Glyfada Security Department. The fire was promptly extinguished,” the post adds.

Glyfada Mayor Giorgos Papadopoulos stated, “Fortunately, everything is well. We had a fire shortly before 8 PM today in Upper Glyfada, in Terpsithea, right behind the football stadium. At the location where the fire started, which is difficult to access by vehicles, our Civil Protection and volunteers who patrol the area, as well as the Fire Department, arrived promptly. The fire was extinguished with the help of two helicopters, using water from a tank we had installed in the area, allowing for an immediate and effective response.

Based on the information we have, today’s fire is the result of arson. A big thank you to the Fire Department, our Civil Protection team, and our volunteers, as well as the volunteer groups from neighboring municipalities. We remain on constant alert throughout the night to prevent any rekindling from the embers. We continue to stay fully vigilant and prepared for the remainder of the fire season. Hopefully, there will be no more incidents elsewhere during these critical hours, so that firefighting resources can stay focused on the northeastern Attica region.”

The fire occurred specifically at 19:50 on the evening of Monday, August 12, behind the Terpsithea football stadium, just 300 meters from residential areas. It was detected immediately by the Glyfada Municipality’s Civil Protection patrols and the volunteer team O.A.N.E.A.N., which operates continuously day and night.

Following an order from Mayor Giorgos Papadopoulos, the mobilization was immediate. The teams from the Glyfada Municipality’s Civil Protection, Glyfada volunteers, and neighboring municipalities, along with five water tankers, two helicopters that conducted over 20 drops, and ground forces from the 8th Fire Station, fought the flames and extinguished the fire before it could spread, using water from the new helicopter tank placed in Terpsithea.

Deputy Mayor Spyros Dimou, and the Appointed Municipal Councilors Anny Kafkas, Giorgos Tavernarakis, and Christos Michalakakos, were present at the scene, while the Municipal Police made traffic adjustments to facilitate the firefighters, Civil Protection personnel, and volunteers. By around 20:30, the fire had been extinguished. Firefighters and volunteers remain on site throughout the night for any possible rekindling.