PROPERTY SEARCH
PROPERTY SEARCH
ARCHIVED - German arsonist arrested for deliberately setting 7 fires in Mallorca
The man was collared as he raced away from one of the fires in Santa Ponsa
The prolonged heatwave has led to major devastation across Spain and the country is currently experiencing its worst wave of wildfires in more than a decade. Prevailing winds and scorching temperatures mean that the blazes are being effectively fuelled by mother nature but shockingly, one prolific arsonist in Mallorca added to the destruction over the weekend by deliberately starting seven fires in a matter of hours.
The 55-year-old German man was arrested on Sunday July 24 at the scene of the crime in the popular holiday destination of Santa Ponsa and, thanks to the rapid reactions of firefighters, the blazes were prevented from causing widespread damage.
The bizarre events began on Saturday afternoon when three fires broke out in rapid succession on three neighbouring farms on Camí de Son Pillo, in Calvià. Luckily, the emergency services were quickly on the scene and managed to extinguish the flames, with just 600 square metres of scrub burned.
Officials suspected that the fires had been set intentionally and their suspicions were confirmed the following morning, when two more fires spontaneously erupted: one on a farm along the road that connects Es Capdellà with Puigpunyent, a high-risk forest area given the blistering temperatures of recent days, and another very close by.
Again, these wildfires were brought under control with little difficulty.
But the arsonist wasn’t quite finished, and he set a further two fires in the Santa Ponsa area that same morning.
Investigators had already begun to comb the fire sites for clues and specialised officers were on the lookout for any suspicious activity. Eventually they caught a break and spotted a car speeding out of Camí de Son Pillo at around noon on Sunday.
The car was stopped at a checkpoint and officers found several boxes of kitchen matches, presumably used to set the fires, in the vehicle.
The German man was arrested for arson and appeared before the courts in Palma on Monday July 25, where he was charged with the crime and released on bail.
Image: Archive
Sign up for the Spanish News Today Editors Roundup Weekly Bulletin and get an email with all the week’s news straight to your inbox
Special offer: Subscribe now for 25% off (36.95 euros for 48 Bulletins)
OR
you can sign up to our FREE weekly roundup!
Read some of our recent bulletins:
Discount Special Offer subscription:
36.95€ for 48 Editor’s Weekly News Roundup bulletins!
Please CLICK THE BUTTON to subscribe.
(List price 3 months 12 Bulletins)
Read more stories from around Spain:
Contact Spanish News Today: Editorial 966 260 896 /
Office 968 018 268
