Dilip Kuner
SPAIN’S countryside is burning — and police say arsonists are to blame for many of the blazes tearing through forests, farmland and even areas close to homes.
In a dramatic week for the Guardia Civil, multiple suspects have been arrested in connection with wildfires from Galicia to Andalucia and Castilla y Leon.
In the Costa da Morte region of Galicia, two men from Olveiroa (A Coruña) were cuffed in ‘Operation Coppair’ over eight separate wildfires. Investigators say the pair sparked the blazes while burning stolen copper cable to strip it for sale on the black market.
Using petrol and blowtorches, they allegedly set fires in remote, wooded spots – but left them smouldering and unattended. The resulting infernos caused around €20,000 in damage and threatened towns including Camariñas, Cee, Dumbria, Vimianzo and Zas.
Further south in Malaga province, another man has admitted to starting six wildfires in Teba between 19 July and 3 August, scorching roughly four hectares. Shockingly, some were lit just metres from people’s homes. Locals’ tips led police straight to the suspect, who confessed during questioning.
Meanwhile in Castilla y Leon, three separate cases have rocked the region. A man in Zamora is accused of accidentally setting off a blaze in Puercas de Aliste–Gallegos del Río that swallowed a staggering 3,000 hectares.
In Leon, another is under investigation for an ‘unintentional’ fire in Filiel–Lucillo that burned two hectares. And in Avila, officers say a man deliberately torched land in Cuevas del Valle, Mombeltran and El Arenal – destroying 2,200 hectares.
The scale of destruction has been staggering. In Castilla y Leon alone, the Guardia Civil says 88 wildfire investigations have already been launched in 2025, with 22 people investigated and three detained so far this year.
Almost 90 administrative fines have also been issued for breaches of fire safety laws.
Hundreds of officers – from SEPRONA environmental units to traffic police and riot squads – remain on the ground, helping firefighters, coordinating evacuations and keeping evacuated towns secure.
Authorities are urging the public to stay vigilant and report suspicious behaviour immediately. With the country in the grip of peak summer heat, even a single careless act – or a deliberate one – can turn into another disaster.
READ MORE:
- Spain’s suspicious blazes: Fires at Tarifa and UNESCO site Las Medulas declared ‘intentional’ while firefighter started separate inferno ‘to give himself more work’
- PICTURED: Volunteer firefighter, 35, perishes trying to save his village as record-breaking forest fires devastate Spain
- European allies fly in to help Spain battle deadly forest fires engulfing the country
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