A man suspected of involvement in a fire on the island of Madeira has been officially named as a defendant, authorities confirmed. The individual, who is an emigrant residing in Switzerland, was identified during the summer when he visited Madeira for a holiday, approximately a year after the incident.
This marks the second individual implicated in this ongoing investigation.
The first suspect was identified shortly after the fire, with Isabel Dias, the coordinator for the Public Prosecutor’s Office in Madeira, confirming a suspect had been named as a defendant on September 2 of last year.
Both suspects are thought to have launched the fireworks that sparked the blaze.
On August 29 of last year, the Judicial Police (PJ) announced that fireworks had initiated the fire, noting that they had identified those responsible.
The investigation, which involved gathering key testimonies, analyzing circumstances, meteorological information, official data from various entities, and indicative analysis of several elements, enabled the identification of the location and individuals responsible for launching the fireworks, according to the PJ.
The rural fire on Madeira broke out on August 14 in the mountains of the Ribeira Brava municipality, spreading progressively to the municipalities of Câmara de Lobos, Ponta do Sol, and Santana.
The regional Civil Protection indicated that the fire was “fully extinguished” after 13 days on August 26.
Data from the European Forest Fire Information System reported over 5,104 hectares burned, though regional authorities cited 5,116.
During the fire, authorities advised about 200 people to evacuate their homes as a precaution, providing public accommodation facilities; however, many residents began returning home.
Efforts to combat the flames were hindered by wind and high temperatures, though the Regional Government reported no injuries or significant infrastructure damage, despite some impact on small-scale agricultural productions and forest areas.
