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Arson or accident? Several recent forest fires under investigation in Murcia
The most recent blaze tore through 13 hectares of countryside in El Valle last week
The Guardia Civil’s Nature Protection Service (Seprona) is working with the Region of Murcia’s Environmental Crime Investigation Brigade (Brida) to determine whether several wildfires recorded in recent weeks were intentionally set.
While no arrests have been made and the authorities are remaining tight-lipped as the investigation develops, the troubling fact remains that an arsonist could well be to blame.
One of the forest fires that is in the spotlight is the one that kept the residents of the capital in suspense this Thursday August 1, burning up 13 hectares in the area of Sequén, in El Valle, in the Murcian district of La Alberca. More than 140 firefighters worked against the clock for hours to stop the flames and a thick column of smoke that was visible from kilometres away. Fortunately, that fire has now been brought under control.
Initially, the authorities felt that while the fire could have been caused by a person, it was more than likely accidental as there only seemed to be one combustion source. But now, as evidence of more and more infernos builds, the experts aren’t so sure.
Last year, Brida carried out 38 forest fire investigations. One of these was again in El Valle, where the equivalent of two football fields was devoured by the flames. The Environmental Crimes Investigation Brigade found evidence that this fire was set deliberately.
The summer of 2024 isn’t shaping up much better, as scorching temperatures, parched land and prevailing winds provide a literal tinder box in the Region of Murcia. Just 24 hours before the El Valle blaze broke out last week, a second wildfire took hold in the Majallana area of the Lorca district of Purias, in the foothills of the Sierra de la Almenara.
The investigation continues into the cause of these fires.
Also of interest: This is the dark side of summer: Hotter heatwaves and worse wildfires
Image: CARM
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