Arson Among the Possibilities Under Investigation
Kalymnos Mayor Ioannis Mastrokoukos addressed the repeated fires that have recently broken out in roughly the same area of the island during a press conference today, while renewing his call for the immediate establishment of a permanent fire station staffed by professional firefighters.
The Mayor expressed serious concern over the frequency and timing of the incidents, noting that the competent authorities are examining several possible causes, including arson. However, no official conclusion has yet been issued, and the investigations remain ongoing.
Mastrokoukos made particular reference to the fire near the island’s thermal springs. He described it as a “coincidence” that the blaze occurred shortly after a study for the development of the springs had been approved. His remarks were presented as a cause for concern rather than as evidence establishing the origin of the fire.
In a question addressed to him, Kalymnos Times conveyed concerns expressed by some local residents, who wonder whether the accumulation of these incidents could be linked to an attempt to target the Mayor politically.
In response, Mastrokoukos reiterated his concern about the sequence and timing of the events and again referred to the “many coincidences,” while leaving the investigation into their actual causes to the competent authorities.
He also highlighted the timing of other recent events which, in his view, raise questions. These included the visit of government ministers, Dodecanese MPs and members of the United States Congress to Kalymnos General Hospital, as well as the fire that broke out on the slope of the island’s landfill after the transfer of waste had begun.
“There are too many coincidences,” the Mayor said, without making a specific accusation against any person or group.
He also stressed the urgent need for Kalymnos to have a permanent fire station staffed by professional firefighters. According to the Mayor, the repeated outbreaks demonstrate that the island requires a stable, adequately staffed and operationally prepared firefighting force capable of responding immediately to emergencies.
The investigations into the causes of the fires are continuing, with the official findings of the competent authorities now awaited.
