A 48-year-old Portuguese man was arrested on Tuesday on suspicion of causing a forest fire on September 18 while clearing land in the Spanish municipality of Becerreá, Lugo, Galicia.
The Guardia Civil determined that the fire ignited while two workers, including the Portuguese national, were cleaning the site despite warnings from authorities about the high risk of rural fires that day, reported La Voz de Galicia.
The blaze resulted from sparks produced by the machinery, which, while clearing the roadside, struck rocks in the area.
Authorities confirmed that “the area where the fire started had been cleared that same day, identifying two workers from a cleaning company nearby, one of whom was operating a tractor with an attached cleaning device.” This individual, presumed to be the Portuguese man, attempted to flee.
The supervisor of the workers is also under investigation, suspected of employing one of them without a contract.
Additionally, the Portuguese man has a criminal record for causing another fire in the same location.
The fire ultimately consumed 13.5 hectares of forest.
