Alex Trelinski
THE Guardia Civil has tracked down a man who allegedly started forest fires in an Alicante province beauty spot.
The suspect, 46, is accused of multiple incidents in the Sierra de la Carrasqueta, in Jijona.
The Guardia says he caused two fires and tried to ignite blazes an additional 19 times.
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Several fires were set in the Sierra on May 7 with members of the regional forest fire fighting team spotting the alleged arsonist.
The next day, Guardia officers and fire crews attended to three fires in the area and used equipment to identify the suspect who was arrested last Thursday.
So far this year, there have been over 30 forest fires in Alicante province, plus numerous reports for infringements concerning uncontrolled burnings.
Three people have been arrested and five others are under investigation.
One of the most serious cases was a fire that started on April 14 in Tarbena, where 600 hectares of land were burned and 180 residents had to be evacuated.
Two men, aged 75 and 35, were detained the next day for allegedly starting a forest fire as a result of serious recklessness.
Valencian authorities imposed a ban from April 15 until mid-October on general crop burning and plant waste to prevent forest fires.
Only one-off burning will be allowed, expressly authorised for phytosanitary, research or emergency reasons.
