Newsroom
In one of the darkest chapters of modern Greek history, when flames engulfed the seaside town of Mati in July 2018, claiming 104 lives in a matter of hours, it wasn’t just the fire that left scars; it was the lack of response and accountability. As desperate residents ran toward the sea with nowhere else to go, the system meant to protect them failed catastrophically.
But in the aftermath, one man made sure the truth wouldn’t burn with the ashes.
What made Liotsios’s role all the more critical was his refusal to cave under pressure. He reportedly received threats and faced attempts to downplay or bury the case
Dimitris Liotsios, a seasoned firefighter and expert witness, played a pivotal role in uncovering the errors and inaction that led to the tragedy. His painstaking investigation, unwavering dedication, and courage in the face of pressure helped bring high-ranking officials to justice.
Born in Larissa in 1975 and raised in Nafpaktos, Liotsios didn’t start his career wearing a uniform. He worked as a heavy vehicle operator and tourist bus driver until a public hiring reform brought him into the Fire Department in 1996. Over the years, he proved himself on the ground, literally, working across Corinth, EMAK, Kiato, and eventually Athens, where he joined the Investigative Unit.
But it wasn’t just routine duty. Liotsios’s career has been marked by moments of heroism. In 2017, during deadly floods in Mandra, he tied himself to a rope and saved civilians trapped in a bus just minutes before the bridge gave way. In other operations, he rescued a suicidal teenager, pulled a disabled elderly man from a burning home, and cracked a harrowing arson case involving domestic violence.
On the day the fire broke out in Mati, Liotsios was on patrol in Western Attica. What he later pieced together from radio logs, transcripts, and command center communications painted a devastating picture of missed warnings, poor coordination, and critical delays.
In court, his expert testimony laid bare how officials failed to act even after the fire’s trajectory was clear. Aircraft weren't pre-positioned despite the high fire risk forecast. The first fire trucks arrived far too late. Evacuation orders came when it was already too late for many. At 5:30 p.m., the fire was nearly unstoppable. By 7:10 p.m., it had reached the sea.
“There is no doubt that everyone knew,” Liotsios told the court.
He also testified that fire services should have been put on general alert much earlier in the day, not after the fire had already consumed neighborhoods. His findings showed that the Attica region's forces were woefully unprepared and overwhelmed when it mattered most.
What made Liotsios’s role all the more critical was his refusal to cave under pressure. He reportedly received threats and faced attempts to downplay or bury the case, but he pressed on, determined to honor the victims with truth and justice.
Thanks to his work, the Mati case didn’t disappear into bureaucracy or get written off as a tragic accident. His investigation became the backbone of the court’s decision to convict those who failed in their duty.
