Investigations into the recent devastating wildfire on the Costa del Sol which left one person dead, damaged 8,225 hectares land, destroyed twenty houses and led to more than 6,500 people being evacuated from their homes has led to the arrest of a young man in Alhaurín el Grande. He has been charged with causing a wildfire through serious negligence.
Investigations by the Guardia Civil Seprona and Fire Brigade Forest Fire Investigation unit (BIIF) both led to the conclusion that the fire was caused during the pruning of some ornamental trees, therefore not agricultural waste, with a fire having been lit to get rid of the debris.
The reports of the two separate investigating bodies pointed to the origin of the fire, which spread on two fronts and seriously affected six municipalities, being in the foothills of the cerro Alaminos and close to a road known as the Charco del Infierno.
Investigators were apparently aware of the point of origin of the fire at an early stage, but collecting physical evidence and connecting the fire to an individual or individuals was not an easy task.
This required the collation of numerous witness statements and the collection of data on all the farms in the area and anyone who had links to them.