How Greece’s neglected power grid fuels wildfire destruction 

An energy rod stands among burnt trees pursuing a wildfire successful Neos Voutzas, adjacent Athens, July 25, 2018. [Alkis Konstantinidis/Reuters]

When Greek firefighters investigated the origin of a deadly wildfire adjacent the Athens Riviera successful August, they recovered a acquainted culprit: a free powerfulness cablegram whose sparks were blown crossed a tract of adust writer successful a windstorm.

The investigators’ report, seen by Reuters, said the cablegram adjacent the town of Keratea showed signs of oxidation and improper maintenance. Within hours, the blaze had killed 1 idiosyncratic and burned 4,000 acres (16 square km) of onshore abutting tourist beaches south of the capital.

“It was rapid,” said Keratea nonmigratory Manolis Palaiolougkas, pointing to an country of charred world conscionable extracurricular town where the occurrence started.

Faulty powerfulness lines were the starring origin of large wildfires this summer, overshadowing arson and negligence, preliminary occurrence brigade information seen exclusively by Reuters shows.

Of 41 large Greek blazes investigated by the brigade, 15 were apt caused by the energy network, charring 51,000 acres of land.

That’s up from past year, the information shows, and comes aft years of underinvestment successful the powerfulness grid during Greece’s 2009-2018 indebtedness crisis. It adds to the risks posed by clime change, which has made summers hotter and drier and wildfires much destructive, costing the state billions of euros.

“For galore years, I and different colleagues person raised this contented with flares caused by vigor transmission networks,” said Palaiologos Palaiologou, adjunct prof astatine the Agricultural University of Athens. “We indispensable not fell the contented under the carpet.”

Power distributor DEDDIE defends record

A 2nd occurrence brigade study seen by Reuters showed that successful 2024, 9 large fires were apt caused by the energy network, including 1 that barreled northbound of Athens and torched 10,000 hectares – an country the size of Paris.

In Greece, details connected what triggers the wildfires are mostly not published. Fire brigade spokesman Vassilis Vathrakogiannis declined to remark connected the information due to the fact that it was not public.

Public powerfulness distributor DEDDIE said it carries retired regular attraction and hiked attraction expenditure to 165 cardinal euros successful 2024 from 122 cardinal euros successful 2019.

Its efforts see deforestation, pruning and information inspections, and it has prioritised laying cables underground to trim occurrence risk, DEDDIE said. It has been recovered blameworthy successful conscionable three cases related to wildfires since 2012, retired of astir 122,000 fires recorded, it added.

Government blames indebtedness situation for underinvestment

The authorities blames the occupation connected a deficiency of concern during the indebtedness situation earlier it came to powerfulness successful 2019.

That “cumulatively near a immense spread that we person to capable now,” Deputy Energy Minister Nikos Tsafos told parliament this month.

Meanwhile, section authorities are losing patience. Dimitris Papachristou, the politician of coastal towns deed by the August fire, said helium would sue DEDDIE for negligence this period implicit astatine slightest two large blazes caused by cables this summer.

“We witness the aforesaid story each year, crossed Greece,” Papachristou told Reuters. “We person reached our limits.”

DEDDIE said it recovered nary nexus betwixt the August occurrence and the powerfulness grid. It carried retired attraction successful Keratera connected May 14 and had cleared a four-metre ellipse astir the pole, per Greek law.

Much of grid installed decades agone successful occurrence ‘hot spots’

The situation to overhaul the aging grid is immense, with some of the country’s 4.5 cardinal poles successful forested areas that are present occurrence blistery spots.

Near-empty villages crossed agrarian areas are still served by countless lines. Myriad cables crisscross Keratea, some sagging so debased that residents gag astir utilizing them arsenic a clothesline.

To trim the danger, cables should beryllium moved from high-risk areas, renewed oregon buried underground successful areas where it is possible, Palaiologou said.

Tsafos told parliament astir 1,800 km of cables are placed underground annually. At that rate, it could take the task decades to complete.

“There is still a very agelong way to go,” helium said. [Reuters]