Authorities are moving toward the temporary suspension of operations of the entire wind farm in Boeotia, from whose grid the fire that grew to enormous proportions and spread to Western Attica is believed to have started. The decision follows developments in the case, the detention of those responsible, and a request by the Directorate for Combating Arson Crimes (DAEE) in order to carry out a comprehensive inspection of the infrastructure.

As became known earlier, those placed in temporary custody are the mayor of Stylida, Giannis Apostolou, a contractor, and the owner of the company, following their statements before the investigating judge in Thebes.

It is noted that yesterday the head of the DAEE, Dimitris Dimakogiannis, went to the prosecutor’s office in Thebes, where he received two judicial orders. One concerns the inspection of the remaining overhead electricity transmission network from the wind farm to the HEDNO (DEDDIE) substation.

According to reports, the DAEE’s report states that the electricity transmission network from the wind farm to the HEDNO substation at Agia Anna consists of four sections with a total length of approximately 42 kilometers, of which about 4 kilometers are overhead lines and the remaining 38 kilometers are underground.

The major fire that broke out on July 31 started beneath one of the four medium-voltage overhead lines. A fire had also broken out on the same line on June 27, at a very short distance from the location of the major blaze, but it was dealt with immediately at that time.

Both incidents are attributed to construction defects, but at the same time, vegetation clearing had not been carried out as required by regulations—within a 4-meter-wide strip along the line and 8 meters around the pylons. This requirement was not included in the contract with the technical company, which is why the owner of the wind farm is also facing charges.

It is noted that the wind farm received its operating license in December 2025, was connected to electricity in May 2026, and began feeding electricity back into the HEDNO substation in June, just five days before the first fire occurred.

According to the prosecutor’s order, the inspection will be carried out under the supervision of the DAEE by expert investigators appointed specifically for this purpose.

They are electrical engineer Tasos Dedes and former Deputy Chief of the Fire Service Andrianos Gourbatsis. They are expected to take their oaths possibly even today, and their investigations will begin immediately in order to submit their findings as quickly as possible regarding the condition of the network and the development of the fire.

The Mayor of Stylida’s Technical Company

All four lines were constructed by the technical company owned by the mayor of Stylida, Ioannis Apostolou, with responsibility assigned to the second of the arrested individuals, who was the technical supervisor of the construction.

Ultimately, both of the above individuals, as well as the owner of the wind farm, who had contracted with the mayor’s company for the construction of the network, were remanded in custody yesterday after lengthy statements before the investigating judge in Thebes.

All of them claim that they bear no responsibility for the fire.

It is worth noting that, according to competent sources, there was strong interest from the judicial authorities in Thebes from the very beginning, including the prosecutor and investigating judge, as well as exceptionally good cooperation with the Fire Service for the rapid clarification of the case.

Indicatively, the statements of the three defendants began at 11:30 a.m. yesterday and were completed at 4:00 a.m., when the decision to remand them in custody was made.

The second prosecutor’s order concerns the full safeguarding of all facilities and evidence, ensuring that no intervention takes place that could alter the evidence of the investigation, while also ensuring that there is no risk of a new fire.

At the same time, the investigating judge sent a document to the Decentralized Administration, requesting that it take the necessary actions based on the two prosecutor’s orders, a move that effectively amounts to the withdrawal of the wind farm’s operating authorization.

Competent sources said that decisions may be made to inspect all electricity transmission projects constructed by the mayor’s technical company, and possibly also the networks of wind farms, in order to prevent future fire risks from similar causes. However, such decisions will ultimately be made by the judicial authorities.