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SPAIN is currently battling a series devastating forest fires in the country, which appear to have an increasingly suspicious origin.
In recent days, eight major fires destroyed thousands of hectares. They forced massive evacuations from Tarifa and the Madrid suburbs to a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Leon.
After the Andalucian authorities claimed that the deadly Tarifa fire was deliberately started, experts have said at least three of these incidents fit into a disturbing pattern.
Meanwhile, a firefighter has confessed to setting a massive fire in Avila that burned thousands of hectares and forced the confinement of two towns simply ‘to give himself more work’.
READ MORE The fires that started near Madrid in Spain, which have already taken one life, are threatening a prestigious British School.
The blaze in Tarifa – the second in a week – forced the evacuation of more than 2,000 people on Monday, and consumed over 300 hectares of protected woodland in the Parque Natural del Estrecho.
Andalucia Councillor Antonio Sanz announced that there was a suspicion of arson in a press conference, and called on the authorities to punish those who were responsible.
Sanz told reporters that the investigation was centered on malicious intent, bad will and attempts to harm.
The person who started this fire might have caused a natural disaster and incalculable damages to the lives of people.
The councillor emphasised the gravity of deliberately starting fires in a region whose economy depends heavily on tourism, stating that perpetrators ‘deserve absolute condemnation and rejection from the population’.
READ MORE VIDEO EXCLUSIVE: Watch as wildfire causes chaos in Spain’s Tarifa – flames threaten millionaire villas as 2,000 flee
Authorities revealed the fire originated in a ‘hidden area behind a rock’ but confirmed they possess ‘data and evidence’ supporting the theory that it was deliberately set.
The emergency services increased their surveillance across the entire coastal area after this discovery.
Infoca (Andalucian Fire Prevention Service) reinforced units are now specifically assigned to detect suspicious activity.
READ MOREWATCH : World-renowned Spanish chef Jose Andres is caught in the flames of Tarifa. He has controversial plans to develop tourist infrastructure in this pristine area.
Sanz appealed for public cooperation, urging residents to immediately call 112 if they spot anyone ‘running away from fire zones’ or behaving suspiciously near woodland areas.
The Tarifa incident is the second large fire to occur in the region in less than a week. It raises concern about a pattern of deliberate fire setting as Spain fights its worst wildfires season in many years.
In the Avila case, 600km from the city, an unnamed employee of the fire service was arrested. He is accused of starting the Cuevas del Vale blaze that destroyed almost 2,200 acres just two weeks prior.
During police questioning, he reportedly confessed to deliberately igniting the fire to create fresh work for himself – a revelation that stunned investigators and sent shockwaves through Spain’s emergency services.
READ MORE WATCH: Wildfire comes ‘within four metres’ of burning through the border of luxury Tarifa hotel
Emergency crews including the original fire starter brought the fire under control.
Arsonists are suspected to be responsible for the fire that destroyed an ancient Roman gold mine in Leon. The site is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Up to 1,400 people had to be evacuated as the fires reached the residential buildings of the UNESCO Complex.
All tourist infrastructure at the site has been destroyed, while extreme heat and strong winds created dangerous ‘fire whirls’ that staggered firefighters trying to bring it under control.
READ MORE EXCLUSIVE: Expat hotel boss tells of ‘amazing’ staff who saved luxury Tarifa hotel and 100 guests as scary wildfire came ‘just 4 metres’ from its border
Experts added blazes to the growing list of suspicious fires in Spain that are threatening its most precious natural areas and economic zones.
Spanish authorities have pledged to take harsh action against anyone found guilty of arson. Penalties could include lengthy prison sentences, as well large compensation claims for environmental damages and emergency response costs.
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