Man arrested for starting forest fires in Bayarcal

GUARDIA CIVIL arrested a man charged with starting at least 19 fires in rural, forest and urban areas in and around Bayarcal.

He would choose areas with plenty of bushes and dry grasses, and uses a lighter and a handful of dry grass to start the fires instead of accelerants such as petrol to prevent identification.

The 39-year-old man was caught in the early hours of October 10 thanks to an operation carried out by Guardia Civil Nature Protection Service (Seprona) officers in Adra. He was seen lighting a small fire before fleeing from the area. He was arrested in his home several hours later and the officers found equipment for starting fires.

Six of the fires that he started affected terrain within the Sierra Nevada Natural Park.

The operation began a month and a half ago with an in-depth investigation into what had caused several of the fires in the area, why they had been started and who was behind them.

Fortunately, most of the fires, which were started at different times of the day although mostly in the early hours of the morning, were quickly put out and did not affect large areas.

He chose areas which were easy to access and to escape from to prevent being caught. He has been sent to prison on remand charged with starting the fires.