The Polícia Judiciária (PJ) has arrested a 64-year-old man suspected of setting two forest fires in Cabeceiras de Basto, Braga district, on August 2, the police force announced today.
The suspect, who is unemployed, was detained without being caught in the act of committing the crime, the statement emphasized.
In a statement, the PJ noted that witnesses traveling on the Estrada Nacional (EN205) noticed that around midnight, a fire broke out in the parish of Painzela, in Cabeceiras de Basto.
After the fire was extinguished by passersby, a second, rapidly spreading fire began, which did not cause significant damage due to the intervention of firefighters, they explained.
Following investigative efforts, PJ inspectors gathered “a significant collection of evidence supporting the attribution of the two fires to the suspect, presumably started by means of direct flame.”
The area where the fires were set is described as having “high potential for spreading to extensive forest areas,” creating a severe risk to the entire forest and nearby residences, the PJ reported.
The detained individual, who has a criminal record for the same crime, is to be presented today for an initial judicial hearing.
