Over the past day, from Thursday to Friday, as Portugal faces severe fires, Portuguese authorities have reported the arrest of at least six individuals—five men and a woman—on charges of arson.
The arrests took place in the municipalities of Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo, Arouca, Peso da Régua, Ponte da Barca, Chaves, and Oliveira do Hospital.
Early Thursday morning, the Republican National Guard (GNR) announced the arrest of a 34-year-old man in the municipality of Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo.
In a statement, the security force explained that the fire “originated during agricultural work” and that the “suspect is believed to have accidentally caused a fire that consumed about two hectares of agricultural land and ash trees.”
On the same day, the Judicial Police (PJ) reported the arrest of a “56-year-old woman, strongly suspected of committing a forest fire crime, in Arouca.” “The suspect is thought to have started the fire using a direct flame, allegedly under the influence of alcohol,” explained the PJ.
According to the authority, the “fire in question, which was controlled using aerial means, posed a danger to a significant forest area, as well as to several buildings, including homes and industries in the area, causing widespread public concern due to the fire that has been affecting the Arouca municipality for several days.”
The flames consumed “a forest area mainly consisting of cork oaks, oaks, and strawberry trees.”
A 56-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of having started a fire on Wednesday in Arouca, as firefighters battled multiple fire fronts in that area of the Aveiro district, the Judicial Police (PJ) announced today.
Lusa | 10:20 – 31/07/2025
A 58-year-old man was also arrested on suspicion of starting a fire in a forest area in the municipality of Peso da Régua. The fire occurred in the early hours of Wednesday and consumed a forest area mainly made up of cork oaks, oaks, and strawberry trees.
A 58-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of starting a fire in a forest area of Peso da Régua, announced the Judicial Police (PJ) of Vila Real today.
Lusa | 11:43 – 31/07/2025
This Friday, the PJ announced the arrest of a 57-year-old man as the “presumed author of three forest fire crimes that occurred last June in the parish of Vila Chã (Santiago),” in Ponte da Barca.
“On June 19 and 29, ignitions that resulted in forest fires were detected in the parish of Vila Chã (Santiago), near difficult-to-access forest paths already somewhat distant from the residential clusters,” the authority stated, explaining that a “motorcycle was detected circulating there, and immediately after its passage, fire spots were detected that evolved into the forest area.”
A 57-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of committing three forest fire crimes in June in the parish of Vila Chã (Santiago) in Ponte da Barca, the Judicial Police (PJ) announced today.
Lusa | 13:14 – 01/08/2025
Another man, aged 53, was also arrested by the PJ on suspicion of starting a fire in a forest area located in the municipality of Chaves. The crime “occurred at dawn on July 3, 2025, around 00:30,” and consumed an “area of forest land mainly composed of scrub and maritime pine.”
A 53-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of starting a fire in a forest area of the Chaves municipality, announced the Judicial Police (PJ) of Vila Real today.
Lusa | 13:33 – 01/08/2025
The GNR revealed that it had arrested a man for the crime of forest fire in the municipality of Oliveira do Hospital.
“The arrest occurred following a forest fire that broke out in that municipality, with the Guard’s officers carrying out police procedures that determined the fire originated from a direct flame using matches,” the authority indicated.
According to the GNR, “the arrest occurred following a forest fire that broke out” in the municipality of Oliveira de Hospital on Thursday. The investigation is being conducted by the PJ.
Notícias ao Minuto | 15:54 – 01/08/2025
It is noteworthy that since Monday, many rural fires have affected the Portuguese mainland, especially the North, Center, and Alentejo regions. The blazes forced the evacuation of villages.
Among firefighters and civilians, several people received assistance, with no report of serious injuries. There is also no indication of destroyed homes, but forest, agricultural, and livestock areas, as well as annexes and similar structures, were burned.
