A shocking video has emerged from the tragedy in Oreokastro capturing the first moments of the fire that claimed the lives of a 65-year-old father and his 12-year-old son, while the family’s 40-year-old mother remains hospitalized with burns at Hippokration Hospital. According to investigators, the fire appears to have started when an unknown driver threw a lit cigarette into dry roadside grass, with the flames spreading within minutes due to strong winds and arid vegetation.
The video, aired by ANT1, captures the exact moment the fire ignites. As seen in the footage, smoke first appears approximately two minutes after the cigarette is discarded. From that point on, the fire escalates at an alarming rate, turning the area into a deadly inferno within minutes. Strong winds and dry grass played a decisive role in the fire’s rapid spread, which reached the nearby area of Liti — approximately two kilometers from where it originally broke out.
Oreokastro fire: Three vehicles under investigation
Authorities are conducting a full-scale investigation, with fire service investigators from Thessaloniki working to determine the exact circumstances that led to the devastating blaze. Three vehicles that passed through the area during the critical timeframe have been identified through security camera footage and are now at the center of the inquiry.
The drivers of all three vehicles have already been located and are being questioned by investigators, who are carefully evaluating all available evidence and witness statements in order to establish which vehicle is linked to the discarded lit cigarette believed to have caused the fire.
The mother’s harrowing testimony
Particularly devastating is the account given by the 40-year-old mother, who managed to escape the flames but lost both her husband and her 12-year-old son. “We were all together at home when we suddenly saw the fire outside. When I opened the door, I saw a plant burning. My husband said to me, ‘Let’s go, we need to leave.’ I headed to the car thinking they were both following me. I got in on the passenger side. The fire and smoke were so intense I couldn’t see anything. When I got inside, the car was already burning on the driver’s side. A little while later I remember some firefighters came and rescued me,” she said, describing the harrowing moments.
Further heartbreak has emerged regarding the 12-year-old boy, as information released by the Municipality of Oreokastro revealed that his body was found inside a wardrobe in the house. The exact circumstances are still under investigation, though the initial assessment is that the child, panicked by the terrifying speed at which the flames spread, attempted to hide and seek shelter.
The 65-year-old father, a retired teacher who was well known in the local community, was found dead in the yard of the house, where, according to initial reports, he had fought until his final moments to protect the family home from the fire. Authorities continue their investigation, and the documentary video footage along with security camera recordings are expected to play a crucial role in fully resolving the case.
