A woman has been detained in connection with a series of fires in the municipality of Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo, district of Guarda, which took place in August and September. Detained on Tuesday, she appeared in court today and was remanded in custody, as reported by a source from the Criminal Investigation Department of Guarda’s Judicial Police (PJ).
The fires were allegedly ignited with direct flames using accumulations of dry combustible materials, for trivial reasons, during a period marked by high fire risk and favorable weather conditions, according to a statement from the PJ. “In all events, the risk was maximum,” noted the statement.
The arrest was made by the Department of Criminal Investigation of Guarda, in collaboration with the Working Group for the Reduction of Ignitions in Rural Areas – Central Interior, which includes the GNR, ICNF, and PJ. Additionally, assistance was provided by the Environmental Protection Unit of the GNR Territorial Detachment in Vilar Formoso.
The swift response by the Special Device for Combating Rural Fires prevented the fires from escalating, the PJ added. The investigation is under the jurisdiction of the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Guarda.
