A 39-year-old man has been detained by the Judiciary Police (PJ) as the suspected perpetrator of eight forest fires that occurred between August 6 and 12 in the Serra de Todo o Mundo, in the Cadaval and Caldas da Rainha municipalities.
In a statement, the PJ reported that, following reports of the incidents, an investigation was launched “which resulted in the identification of a 39-year-old man who used direct flame to ignite fires, acting on trivial motives.”
“The fires occurred in a rural area with a large forested expanse, consisting of eucalyptus plantations and other species, with the burned area still not fully determined,” the report stated.
The PJ also noted that, in addition to the burned area, “there was a significant risk of the flames spreading to the surrounding populations,” which was “averted by the early detection and rapid response of the Volunteer Firefighters of Cadaval and Caldas da Rainha.”
The detainee, who has already appeared for a preliminary judicial hearing, will remain in preventive detention.
