A legal source and local media reported that the crew of a yacht accused by Greek authorities of setting a forest ablaze last week in Hydra, denied any charges of arson when they appeared in front of a judge on Wednesday.

Wildfires in Greece are not uncommon, but have become more destructive and frequent due to the hotter, dryer and windier weather that scientists attribute to climate change. In recent years, Greece has increased penalties for arson.

Firefighters were able to put out the fire early Saturday morning after it was believed that fireworks had started the fire. The fire, which is thought to have been caused by fireworks, began on Friday evening and consumed nearly 300,000 sqm of the only pine forest on the island.

The 13 Greek crew of the yacht that was moored at 350 meters (383 yards), when the fire broke out, were arrested and charged on Sunday in a marina near Athens with causing the fire.

All of them have denied all wrongdoing, and reiterated this stance in front of an investigating magistrate on Wednesday at the Piraeus court.

According to a statement published by Athens News Agency (ANA), the company that operates the yacht, Salaminia Yachting LTD., stated that it is awaiting the results of an investigation, and that "it has absolute confidence in integrity and sincerity" of the crew, who have said that they weren't involved in the incident.

Legal source earlier said that there were not enough proofs to link them to the case. The captain of the yacht was the first to alert authorities to the fire. Other yachts in the area also had the same problem.

Court documents obtained by the.

One of the witnesses said that he had seen a rubberboat sailing towards the yacht, as the fire spread quickly. Later, they saw a fire-extinguisher at the yacht's rear. (Reporting Renee Maltezou, Additional reporting Yannis Souiotis, Editing Gareth Jones & Bill Berkrot).