A man was arrested on Thursday on suspicion of committing a forest fire crime in the municipality of Oliveira do Hospital, announced the Republican National Guard (GNR).
In a statement released on Friday, the authority explained that “the arrest followed a forest fire outbreak in that municipality.”
Following police investigations, GNR officers determined that the “fire originated from direct flame using matches,” and the suspect “knowingly caused a fire.”
The note stated that the arrested individual was formally accused, and the facts were referred to the Department of Investigation and Penal Action (DIAP) of Coimbra.
The case investigation has been handed over to the Judiciary Police (PJ).
It should be noted that the crime occurred on a day when almost all municipalities in the Coimbra district, including Oliveira do Hospital, were at maximum risk of a rural fire.
In the statement, the GNR assured that it “remains vigilant in preventing and combating rural fires, actively contributing to the criminal accountability of their perpetrators and the protection of people, property, and natural heritage.”
“The protection of people and property, in the context of rural fires, continues to be one of the GNR’s priorities, supported by preventive actions and patrolling efforts in forest areas,” it emphasized.
The authority also reminded that “burns and fires are the main causes of wildfires in Portugal” and that their execution “is prohibited whenever there is a ‘very high’ or ‘maximum’ level of rural fire danger, being subject to authorization or prior communication at other times.”
