ARCHIVED - Police identify two suspects behind Huelva forest fire

The authorities believe the pair are responsible for a fire in Villarrasa which affected 870 hectares of land

The Guardia Civil is investigating two men for allegedly causing a fire on 24 July through gross negligence due to a complete lack of maintenance of a lorry, the police force has reported in a press release.

The fire broke out in the area known as ‘Dehesa Boyal’ in the municipality of Villarrasa and affected 630 hectares of forest and 240 hectares of agricultural land in Villarrasa, Niebla and La Palma del Condado.

Officers from the Guardia Civil’s Seprona nature protection wing have carried out several inspections of the area and, with collaboration from members of the public and the traffic authorities, determined that a lorry which lacked correct maintenance caused the fire.

Human beings are responsible for 95 per cent of forest fires, mostly due to negligence, the Guardia Civil has reported, calling for citizens to take extreme precautions to avoid fires starting.

The authorities remind the public that the use of fire, including bonfires, barbecues and burning of agricultural or garden waste, is strictly forbidden in Andalusia between 1 June and 15 October, and that motor vehicles are not allowed into, or within 400 metres of, forest land.