Sparks from Greece’s ageing electricity network have been blamed for most of the land destroyed by wildfires in 2026, according to preliminary data from the country’s Arson Crimes Investigation Directorate. Fires linked to the grid account for about 75 per cent of the area burned this year, the directorate found, even though power infrastructure is behind only a small share of ignitions. Much of the network runs overhead through fire-prone forest and emptying rural districts, and sparks in high winds can outrun firefighters. Experts warn that focusing on private operators obscures the state of the much larger public network. Wildfires across Europe have burned more than 500,000 hectares this year, causing up to €19.1 billion in damage, according to AccuWeather.