Video showing how the fire started at Oraiokastro, Thessaloniki, which claimed the life of a 65-year-old father and his 12-year-old son, while the mother of the family is being treated for burns at Hippocrates Hospital, is coming to light.

The video aired by ANT1 TV captures the start of the fire, which, according to the evidence so far, was caused when a reckless driver threw a lit cigarette into dry grass beside the road.

The footage shows that just two minutes after the cigarette was discarded, the first smoke appears, and due to the winds and dry grass, the fire spread at an extremely rapid pace. In a very short time, the fire front expanded, reaching Liti, approximately two kilometers away from the point where the fire broke out, with tragic consequences.

Three vehicles under scrutiny

Authorities have focused their investigation on three vehicles that passed through the specific location during the critical time period and were captured on security cameras. Their drivers have already been identified and are being questioned by investigators from the Thessaloniki Fire Department’s Investigative Unit, in order to determine the exact circumstances under which the devastating fire broke out.

The mother’s harrowing testimony

At the same time, the account of the 40-year-old mother who managed to escape, while her husband and son lost their lives, is deeply moving.

“We were all together at home when we suddenly saw the fire outside. When I opened the door, I saw a plant burning. Then my husband said to me: ‘Let’s get out of here.’ I walked toward the car, thinking they were both following me. I got in on the passenger side. The fire and smoke were so intense that I couldn’t see a thing. When I got into the car, the driver’s side was on fire. A little while later, I remember that some firefighters arrived and rescued me,” she said.

The child was found inside a closet

According to information from the Municipality of Oreokastro, the body of the 12-year-old was found inside a closet in the house. The exact circumstances have not yet been clarified; however, the initial assessment is that the child, panicked by the flames, attempted to hide in search of protection. The 65-year-old father, a retired teacher and well-known figure in the local community, was found dead in the backyard of the house, where he was reportedly trying to protect the home from the fire.