Man arrested over Las Peñas de Riglos fire released on precautionary measures
The Huesca Provincial Court revokes the preventive detention of the 28-year-old man after finding insufficient evidence. He must appear before the court three times a week.
Man accused of Las Peñas de Riglos fire released provisionally
The Huesca Provincial Court has ordered the provisional release of the 28-year-old man arrested in connection with the Las Peñas de Riglos forest fire, according to Google News ES — Crime (es). The court considers that the existing evidence is not sufficiently solid to sustain preventive detention, particularly given the absence of an expert report determining the cause of the fire.
The ruling revokes the provisional detention without bail that applied to the suspect, in response to an appeal filed by his defence against a previous ruling by the same court.
Footage does not show him causing the fire
The Provincial Court's ruling explicitly states that the footage "does not show him causing the fire, and preventive detention cannot be sustained on a mere inference". The court acknowledges that "there may be evidence to investigate" and takes into account the statement of another worker, who suggested that the fire could have originated from some material from a nearby construction site. However, it concludes that these elements do not reach the evidential threshold necessary to maintain the measure depriving him of liberty.
The chamber also rules out the risk of destruction of evidence, arguing that the detainee "does not have the capacity" to do so.
The Provincial Court thus contradicts the investigating court, which had assessed that the cameras placed the worker alone at the point where the fire began, without having acted to extinguish it or to alert immediately. The higher court admits, however, that "extremely serious facts are being investigated" and that the footage "shows that he was loitering in the area where the fire started". Despite this, it insists that "he is not observed lighting any fire" and that the exact point where the fire began does not coincide with the location where the suspect had been captured by the cameras.
The document further notes that there are no direct witnesses and that the cameras do not record continuously, but are activated by motion sensors. The "alleged" inactivity of the detainee lasts barely a few seconds, and he is also seen using his mobile phone, so the court considers that "it cannot be ruled out that he attempted to alert others to the fire", as he himself stated. When two colleagues arrived at the scene, the footage shows the suspect looking for fire extinguishers and attempting to extinguish the flames.
Precautionary measures in place of detention
The provisional release is not unconditional. The Provincial Court imposes on the suspect the prohibition from leaving national territory, the obligation to provide an address and telephone number to remain locatable at all times, the withdrawal of his passport and appearance before the court on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Non-compliance with these measures could result in more severe measures, including the reinstatement of preventive detention.
The defence lawyer, for his part, emphasised that his client "had no intention whatsoever of causing any fire" and described the preventive detention initially ordered due to flight risk—owing to lack of local ties—as "premature".
Mobile phone analysis and sealed investigation file
In parallel, the investigating court has agreed to the analysis of the detainee's mobile phones at the request of the Public Prosecutor and the Guardia Civil. The procedure affects two seized devices: an iPhone 17 Pro and a Samsung handset. Investigators are seeking to access communications exchanged during the hours linked to the fire, with particular attention to WhatsApp conversations.
The aim of the analysis is twofold: to determine what communications the suspect may have maintained coinciding with the start of the fire and to check whether there are recorded graphic files that could provide new information to the proceedings.
This action is being pursued within a separate and sealed file of technological investigation, opened on 21 August at the request of the EMUME Group of the Guardia Civil's Judicial Police Organic Unit. The sealed nature of the file is because technological investigation procedures may affect fundamental rights.
The fire: 14,500 hectares burned and one death
The forest fire that began on 10 August in the Las Peñas de Riglos area was brought under control on Friday, 21 August. The total perimeter affected reaches 18,400 hectares, although satellite measurements indicate that the surface actually burned within that perimeter exceeds 14,500 hectares.
During the fire's advance, more than 1,000 residents were evacuated from their localities. A member of the Military Emergency Unit (UME) lost his life during firefighting efforts following an accident.
Source: Google News ES — Crime (es)