A man arrested for attempting to start a wildfire in a forest area of Tenerife has been remanded in custody, after being tracked down by the Guardia Civil less than an hour after the fire was reported.
The incident occurred last Tuesday (18th August) in the area of San José de los Llanos, near Icod de los Vinos. Fortunately, firefighters were able to bring the small fire under control before the flames could spread and develop into a much more serious incident.
The suspect was arrested quickly following a rapid response by the Guardia Civil and, crucially, information about the suspect provided by members of the public.
Fire crews successfully extinguished the flames and remained at the scene afterwards carrying out damping-down operations to prevent any hotspots from reigniting.
Following his arrest, the Guardia Civil initially confirmed that the detainee would be brought before the courts once their investigation and initial proceedings had been completed.
The investigation has since progressed, and the man has now been placed in provisional custody in jail over his alleged involvement in starting the fire.
The incident comes during a period of heightened concern over the risk of wildfires in Tenerife, when high temperatures and exceptionally dry vegetation can allow relatively small fires to spread rapidly.
In this case, the speed with which the fire was detected and tackled prevented it from developing into a larger blaze.
The investigation remains ongoing as authorities work to establish exactly how the fire started and the circumstances surrounding the incident.
