Ben Pawlowski
AN investigation into the wildfires that devastated swathes of forestland in Tarifa last week has identified a used lighter among the burnt ashes left by the blaze.
The deputy delegate of the government of Cadiz, Blanca Flores, confirmed the discovery on Friday, but admitted that the finding was only a ‘clue’ as investigators continue to delve into the possible origins of the fire.
“If human hands were behind it and this were proven, the full weight of the law should undoubtedly fall on them,” said Flores, according to Europa Press.
Over 3,500 visitors and local residents were evacuated earlier this month as flames from two separate fires neared homes, hotels and campsites at the peak of Cadiz’s tourism season.
Nearly 600 hectares of land went up in smoke in just one of several blazes to ravage the Spanish countryside amid unseasonably high temperatures and dry conditions.
Fires were recorded in places including Tarifa, the suburbs of Madrid and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Leon as Spanish firefighters, like many of their counterparts across Europe, struggle to deal with an exceptionally hot summer.
Authorities in Tarifa have already said that one of the fires which forced the evacuation of over 2,000 people and destroyed over 300 hectares of protected woodland was set alight deliberately.
“We are dealing with malicious intent, bad faith and attempts to cause harm,” Andalucia councillor Antonio Sanz told a press conference last week.
According to authorities, the fire originated in a ‘hidden area behind a rock’.
The investigation continues.
Click here to read more Spain News from The Olive Press.
