Man arrested over Collserola fire that burned 54 hectares in Barcelona
The Guardia Urbana arrested a man in Nou Barris while burning rubbish bins, carrying lighters of the same type found at the origin of the fire.
Suspect in Collserola fire appears before court
The Guardia Urbana of Barcelona detained a man on Wednesday morning while burning several rubbish bins in the Nou Barris district. The arrested man was carrying several lighters of the same brand and model as the one located by the Mossos d'Esquadra at the starting point of the fire that between Tuesday and Wednesday devastated almost 55 hectares of the Collserola natural park. According to sources familiar with the case who confirmed to La Vanguardia, the suspect appeared before court on Thursday, though at present only with a report linking him to the burning of the rubbish bins.
The Environmental division of the Catalan police continues to investigate to determine whether the detained man is also responsible for the latest major fire in the heart of Barcelona.
The fire in Collserola originated after three o'clock in the afternoon on Tuesday on the Alta de Roquetes road, within the same Nou Barris district. That same day, a patrol of the municipal police arrested the individual following a report from several witnesses who saw him burning rubbish bins. The man admitted the facts to the officers and added several details that did not go unnoticed: he claimed to hear voices telling him that he should set fire to everything around him. He also recounted that on Tuesday he had been sacked from his last job, that he became distressed and went up to Collserola to "eat pine nuts". When the police officers asked him whether, in addition to eating, he had caused any fire, the man categorically denied it.
The fire forced emergency authorities to confine residents of the Ciutat Meridiana and Torre Baró districts and evacuate 35 people whose homes were on the front line of one of the fire fronts. The containment measures were primarily aimed at protecting the population from smoke and ensuring that emergency services could operate in the area without interference.
Source: La Vanguardia