The fire, which started on August 11, broke out in a forest near the town of Varnavas, 35 kilometers from the capital, within a day and reached the northern suburbs of Athens. Some of these suburbs had never seen a forest fire before.
Authorities have questioned residents of Varnavas as part of their investigation into the cause of the fire. A 76-year-old man said a wooden electricity pylon outside his home, which had a loose cable attached to a hanger, could have caused the fire, officials said.
That scenario was the leading one in the investigation, which should be completed in the coming months, an official with knowledge of the investigation said. Arson was also considered.
A fire official who asked not to be named said the fire started in an area near the electricity pole.
Forest fires have been a common occurrence in Greek summers for years, many of which are attributed to voluntary or involuntary arson, electrical short circuits or occasionally natural causes. The country recorded more than 8,000 forest fires in 2023.
In recent years, the risk of such fires has increased due to climate change, which brings warmer weather and less rain.
A prosecutor has deployed engineers to investigate the cause of the recent forest fire.
Greek grid operator HEDNO said no evidence of a malfunction had been found.
“We have no indications that anything went wrong, such as a short circuit,” a HEDNO official told Reuters, adding that only the competent authorities were responsible for determining the cause of the fire.
Local media quoted residents as saying they heard explosions before the fire broke out, while others said there were initially two fires.
The fire has calmed down thanks to the milder winds. It raged for 40 kilometres before reaching the Athenian suburbs of Penteli and Vrilissia, where one woman died.
However, eruptions are still possible, authorities warn, as winds are expected to pick up again.
Sunday's rapidly spreading fire broke out after a week-long high fire risk warning had been in place due to high temperatures and strong winds.
Greece experienced its warmest winter on record this year and was on course for its warmest summer, with little rainfall in many places, a recipe for fire disaster, firefighters said.
“The fire started very far from here, probably from a power line, and in no time everything was engulfed in flames,” 78-year-old Giannis Tsiminis from Varnavas told Reuters.