Beekeeping deputy mayor suspected of causing Corinthia wildfire fined

A beekeeper - and deputy mayor - suspected of accidentally starting the four-day blaze that destroyed some 6,500 hectares and claimed the lives to two people in Corinthia, in the Peloponnese, has been fined 3,000 euros and the case against him will be forwarded to judicial authorities, the fire service has said.

The beekeeper is the deputy mayor with responsibility for civil protection issues in the Municipality of Evrostina, where the fires broke out.

He was smoking the hives to harvest their honey, despite a civil protection warning against such activity due to the high wildfire risk (level four) in the Rozena area on Sunday.

The fire service's arson crimes directorate said it issued the administrative fine. Judicial authorities will now be asked if he is responsible for committing arson through negligence. 

Reports say the beekeeping deputy mayor...