>* **Faulty power lines are top cause of wildfires, data shows**
>* **Underinvestment during debt crisis worsened grid issues**
>* **Local authorities plan legal action against power distributor**
>When Greek firefighters investigated the cause of a deadly wildfire near the Athens Riviera in August, they found a familiar culprit: a loose power cable whose sparks were blown across a field of dry grass in a windstorm.
>Faulty power lines were the leading cause of major wildfires this summer, overshadowing arson and negligence, preliminary fire brigade data seen exclusively by Reuters shows.
>Of 41 major Greek blazes investigated by the brigade, 15 were likely caused by the electricity network, charring 51,000 acres of land.
>That’s up from last year, the data shows, and comes after years of underinvestment in the power grid during Greece’s 2009-2018 debt crisis. It adds to the risks posed by climate change, which has made summers hotter and drier and wildfires more destructive, costing the state billions of euros.
1 commento
>* **Faulty power lines are top cause of wildfires, data shows**
>* **Underinvestment during debt crisis worsened grid issues**
>* **Local authorities plan legal action against power distributor**
>When Greek firefighters investigated the cause of a deadly wildfire near the Athens Riviera in August, they found a familiar culprit: a loose power cable whose sparks were blown across a field of dry grass in a windstorm.
>The investigators’ report, seen by Reuters, said the cable near the town of Keratea showed signs of oxidation and improper maintenance. Within hours, the blaze had [killed one person](https://archive.is/o/G9P8E/https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/greece-fights-wildfires-amid-gale-force-winds-2025-08-08/) and burned 4,000 acres (16 square km) of land abutting tourist beaches south of the capital.
>Faulty power lines were the leading cause of major wildfires this summer, overshadowing arson and negligence, preliminary fire brigade data seen exclusively by Reuters shows.
>Of 41 major Greek blazes investigated by the brigade, 15 were likely caused by the electricity network, charring 51,000 acres of land.
>That’s up from last year, the data shows, and comes after years of underinvestment in the power grid during Greece’s 2009-2018 debt crisis. It adds to the risks posed by climate change, which has made summers hotter and drier and wildfires more destructive, costing the state billions of euros.
[Μπορείτε να διαβάσετε το υπόλοιπο άρθρο από εδώ.](https://archive.is/G9P8E)