Probe hones in on fire service, regional authority officials

A judicial investigation into the causes of the disastrous wildfires on the outskirts of Attica last month points to major shortcomings and mistakes by members of Greece's fire service and regional authorities, Kathimerini understands. 

Although the leadership of the Greek fire service appears to have been informed in a timely fashion that a fire on the slopes of Mount Pendeli was spreading to the settlement of Neos Voutzas on July 23, it did not dispatch adequate forces to the area. 

According to sources, the prosecutors who are leading the probe into the fires have received testimonies that suggest high-ranking fire service officers did not heed the warnings of firefighters who called them from the scene.

In addition to the testimonies, the prosecutors are in possession of evidence showing that top fire service officers received calls 20 minutes after the...