FIRE-STARTER?: Civil Protection boss arrested by cops after wildfires burn in Spain

POLICE in Spain have arrested the head of a Civil Protection volunteer group after more than 150 hectares of forest and scrubland were scorched by a wildfire.

The fires burnt for five-days and members of the Military Emergency Unit were deployed to the area to help bring them under control.

Guardia Civil officers in Cantabria took the 26-year-old chief of the Ramales de la Victoria Civil Protection group in for questioning after fires swept the area.

Town mayor, Cesar Garcia, has announced that the man will be expelled from the Civil Protection volunteer group.

The Seprona nature and environmental protection service of the Guardia Civil said that after collaboration from the public they had “well-founded suspicions” about link of the arrested man with the fire.

They found that the man contradicted himself about his movements at the time of the fire in the Sierra de la Alcomba which began on the night of February 17 to 18.

The man who says he is innocent was released after giving his statement to the police and is now awaiting trial.

Three other men are also being investigated following almost 200 outbreaks in the Cantabrian region recently.

The Guardia Civil have reminded the public to call them on 062 if they have any information relating to the incidents.