Supervisors info:
Δρ. Ε. Λέκκας,
Καθηγ. ΕΚΠΑ
Β. Μαρτζάκλης
M.Sc. Αξιωματικός Πυροσβεστικού Σώματος,
Πτυχιούχος Δημόσιας Διοίκησης Παντείου
Πανεπιστημίου, Expert E.U. Civil Protection
Mechanism
Δρ. Σ. Λόζιος,
Αναπλ. Καθηγ. ΕΚΠΑ
Δρ. Ν. Βούλγαρης,
Καθηγ. ΕΚΠΑ
Summary:
Greece, like the rest countries of the southern Europe (Italy, Spain, Portugal, France), is a country plagued by forest fires every summer. Forest fires are a highly dynamic phenomenon, often unpredictable that can have tragic consequences. A recent sad example is the death of one hundred (100) of our fellow human beings due to the fire that spread from Penteli and reached the area "Mati" in eastern Attica in the summer of 2018. The causes of a fire are many, sometimes natural or accidental and sometimes with because of human actions, either negligently or intentionally. The aim of this paper is to explain to the reader the phenomenon of forest fire and the procedures that must be followed by firefighters during the investigation of a forest fire as well as the factors that affect it and in order to reach its causes.
First, an Introduction is made to the phenomenon of fire. That is, it refers to the factors that affect a fire, its types and ways to fight it. The follow-up refers to the time when the Fire Brigade undertook the responsibility and the operational planning for its suppression.
Chapter 1, presents the Directorate for Combating Explosive Offenses with its responsibilities, the organization chart and the legal framework that governs it.
Chapter 2, deals with the causes of forest fires.
Chapter 3, refers to the process followed by the Investigating Officers during the investigation of a fire. Initially, the legislation governing their actions is set out. Then, the search methods for the starting point are presented with the help of the burn indicators and the way in which the documentation and recording are done as the investigation is an act with legal consequences. Also, reference is made to the qualifications required for an Investigating Officer in order to carry out his mission. Finally, the motives of the arsonists, their mode of action and the selection of their targets are analyzed, as well as the types of witnesses and their behaviors are presented.
In Chapter 4, an attempt is made to present the profile of an arsonist, categorizing it according to specific criteria as well as the motives that push him towards the act of arson.
Chapter 5, draws a more general conclusion about the object of the investigation into the crime of arson, as well as making suggestions that this object may consistently yield better results and minimize errors.
Finally, Chapter 6 lists tables with statistical data for the period 2012 to 2016, regarding the agroforestry fires in Greece.
Keywords:
arson, arsonist, forest fire, arson investigation, natural disaster, intention
