Wildfires continue to wreak havoc in parts of Europe during another dry summer. Greece, a country in southern Europe, is facing multiple fires, with one of them putting wind farms in particular in the spotlight. The fire in question broke out on July 31 near Mavro Spithari, about 32 miles northwest of Athens. Now under control, the massive fire has destroyed about 35,000 acres and damaged or razed some 200 homes. While many wildfires are started by careless human activities, such as discarded cigarettes, single-use barbecues and even arson, some of Greece’s most destructive fires are linked to poorly designed power infrastructure, including overhead power lines and private connections to renewable energy projects. And that’s exactly what appears to have happened with the Mavro Spithari wildfire.
The official investigation concluded that high winds caused sparks to fly from faulty overhead power lines carrying electricity from a wind farm to the utility grid, igniting dry vegetation below. Construction of the wind farm was completed in May and it had just started operating when the incident occurred. Notably, a smaller fire broke out, likely due to a short circuit, along the same power line on June 27, although it was extinguished after burning a much smaller area of approximately 12 acres. A local official was among several people who said the June 27 fire indicated there were problems with that specific network. July’s massive wildfire led to the arrest of the owner of the power company responsible for the power lines, who also happens to be the mayor of a local town. A contractor and the owner of the wind farm were also arrested, and the operation of the wind farm was suspended.
Greece and its theories on forest fires and wind farms
As investigators focused on a single faulty cable, the fire also became the subject of competing theories, some linked to broader conspiracy tales about wind power in Greece. In a country already divided over the expansion of renewable energy, the Mavro Spithari fire draws on a long-standing conspiracy theory that forests are deliberately burned to relax planning rules so developers can come and install wind farms. The idea that forests are deliberately burned to make way for wind farms is a long-standing but baseless claim held by some in Greece, according to AFP Fact Check (an arm of the European news agency Global AFP). Balkan Green Energy News calls this a “long-standing cliché,” adding that wind farms are generally allowed to be built on forested land suitable for wind turbines, while installing them in burned areas is more difficult because such land is subject to protections against reforestation and requires additional justification and approvals. In July, Greece’s wind energy association, ELTAEN, called allegations that forest fires were deliberately started to make way for wind farms as fake news.
The July 31 fire also highlighted a more direct concern that wind farm infrastructure may itself pose a wildfire risk. But legitimate concerns about such dangers can be mixed with misinformation that can have the effect of undermining efforts to expand renewable energy.
Greece’s long history with wind power
Like some American states that have made wind energy a major source of electricity, Greece has also adopted this technology for a long time. In fact, it was an early adopter after the island of Kythnos welcomed Europe’s first wind farm in 1982. Comprised of five wind turbines, the facility was developed by the national electricity company as Greece began exploring wind power, partly in response to the oil crises of the 1970s, which drove up the cost of imported fuel. Many of the Greek islands provided an ideal testing ground thanks to their windy environment and reliance on diesel generators for power. The country also secured funding from the European Union, helping to fund early experiments in renewable energy technology. Kythnos ultimately implemented a hybrid system combining wind, solar, batteries and diesel in an integrated mini-grid. Commissioned in the early 1980s, the system was remarkably advanced for its time.
Although wind technology still has a number of shortcomings and can take considerable time to recover its costs, it is an important tool for many countries looking for ways to meet their energy needs. In 2025, Greek wind farms produced more than 13 terawatt hours of electricity, or almost a quarter of the country’s total electricity production. Installed wind capacity also increased by 6.4% over the year, reaching 5.7 gigawatts by the end of 2025. As Greece continues to grapple with wildfires, the public prosecutor has ordered a nationwide inspection of wind farms, including to check whether other sites pose safety risks and whether permitting requirements are being met. A current challenge for policymakers is to strengthen security rules on private grid infrastructure without allowing a high-profile cable outage and the conspiracies surrounding it to block Greece’s continued effort in wind energy.
