Greek fire department officials arrested two men on Saturday for arson after allegedly deliberately starting wildfires blamed for 21 deaths.
Greece has been plagued by the daily outbreak of dozens of fires over the past week as gale-force winds and hot, dry summer conditions combine to whip up flames and hamper firefighting efforts. On Friday, firefighters were tackling 111 blazes, including 59 that had broken out in the 24 hours between Thursday and Friday evening, the fire department said.
Storms were forecast for some areas of Greece Saturday, and there were reports of lightning causing several fires near the Greek capital that were being tackled by firefighters. Firefighters found 18 bodies in woodland on Tuesday, one on Monday and another Thursday. With nobody reported missing in the area, authorities believe they could be migrants who recently crossed the border from Turkey. Greece´s Disaster Victim Identification Team has been activated to identify the remains, and a telephone hotline set up for potential relatives of the victims to call.
A further 260 firefighters, four planes and three helicopters were tackling another fire that has been burning for days on Mount Parnitha, on the northwestern fringes of the Greek capital.
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