Suspect caught trying to start fire in Gran Canaria woodland
The Guardia Civil has arrested a man for allegedly trying to start a forest fire in the mountainous area of Moya, on the island of Gran Canaria.
The incident took place on July 7th, when members of the public spotted flames coming from a plastic container.
The container had been set on fire in a lay-by along the GC-75 road, near kilometre 18. According to police reports, the man was seen leaning against a metal fence nearby, smoking a cigarette and calmly watching the fire burn without attempting to intervene.
As local residents rushed to the scene with buckets of water to extinguish the flames, the suspect walked away from the area in the direction of the descending road. Concerned by his behaviour, the witnesses alerted emergency services and decided to discreetly follow him in their vehicle.
Around 150 metres further along the road, the man veered off to the right, where he was seen crouching down and attempting to set fire to nearby dry vegetation. The concerned locals confronted him, urging him to stop. He reportedly extinguished the small flames before quickly leaving the area.
The Guardia Civil soon located the man in the centre of Moya, where he appeared to be heavily intoxicated. When questioned, he denied any involvement, stating that he "hadn’t done anything and hadn’t burned any container."
Specialists from SEPRONA (Nature Protection Service) and the BIIF (Forest Fire Investigation Brigade) of the Gran Canaria Cabildo inspected the area. It was confirmed that the attempted arson took place within a protected natural space and at a time when the island was under alert due to high wildfire risk and a pre-alert for strong winds.
The BIIF is now compiling a technical report to assess the environmental risks and potential consequences for nearby residents. Authorities believe there is sufficient evidence to link the man to both the burning of the container and the attempted forest fire.
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