Man arrested over forest fire in Montalegre that destroyed 6,000 m²
A 42-year-old man was arrested by the Judicial Police on suspicion of having started a fire in Solveira, Montalegre, on 18 August.
Suspect detained over forest fire in Solveira, Montalegre
The Judicial Police (PJ) has arrested a 42-year-old man, resident in Solveira, on suspicion of having caused a forest fire in that locality in Montalegre council on 18 August. The announcement was made this Thursday by the PJ, as reported by Google News PT — Crime (pt).
The investigation established that the fire was started with direct flame, probably a lighter. The suspect is "strongly implicated" in the commission of a forest fire crime that consumed approximately six thousand square metres of herbaceous vegetation and low shrubland of brambles.
The "swift intervention of firefighters and an aerial resource" enabled the flames to be brought under control, the PJ states in a statement. Had the fire reached larger proportions, the surrounding area would have been at risk — consisting of chestnut, oak and other tree and shrub species — as well as several homes and agricultural warehouses.
The arrest, made outside of flagrante delicto, was the responsibility of the Criminal Investigation Department of Vila Real, with the collaboration of the Working Group for Reducing Ignitions in the Northern Interior. The detainee will be presented to court for initial judicial interrogation and application of any possible restraining measures. The investigation continues under the direction of the Public Ministry of Montalegre.
Source: Google News PT — Crime (pt)