Spain Arrests Four More Suspects in Ongoing Forest Fire Investigations
Spanish authorities announced the arrest of four individuals on Thursday, suspected of initiating forest fires, bringing the total number of suspects this summer to 30. Reports indicate that three of the recent arrests took place in the northwest region of Castile and Leon, where approximately 40,000 hectares (100,000 acres) of land have been ravaged by flames. Tragically, two volunteers lost their lives this week while fighting the fires there, reports 24brussels.
One suspect was detained for a fire that consumed 3,000 hectares around Puercas de Aliste in Castile and Leon, according to the civil guard. Another individual was apprehended on Wednesday in connection with six forest fires that occurred between July 19 and August 3 near the southern resort city of Málaga.
“Some of these fires were started very close to homes,” stated the civil guard, underscoring the dangers posed by these incidents.
Spain’s Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska confirmed on RAC1 radio that 25 additional individuals have been arrested this summer on similar charges, suggesting that many of these fires were intentionally set.
The latest arrests coincided with Spain’s activation of the EU’s Civil Protection Mechanism on Wednesday for the first time this season to address the escalating forest fire crisis, as reported by Commission spokesperson Eva Hrncirova on Thursday.
