Suspected Barcelona wild fire arsonist detained

A 37-YEAR-OLD man has been admitted to a psychiatric hospital after allegedly starting four fires beside the C-15 road in Santa Fe del Penedès in Barcelona.

Fortunately the fire department was able to put the fires out quickly without too much noticeable damage.

People driving by alerted the authorities by calling 112 when they saw large plumes of smoke coming from dense areas of vegetation beside the road. The response time of the fire department was a matter of minutes as they were already on red alert due to the present fires in Ribera de Ebro nearby.

Some 800 square metres of land were affected by the pyromaniac.

Authorities report that the suspect had two lighters “in his ashy hands” when stopped and he was speaking incoherently. He was first taken to the police station but a doctor admitted him to a psychiatric institute soon after the arrest. The man has been charged with causing a forest fire.