A worker at a rural accommodation in the Sierra de Grazalema is being investigated over a devastating wildfire that has burned 215 hectares of protected land.
Investigators believe the blaze, which broke out on Monday and forced the evacuation of more than 100 people, may have started during maintenance work being carried out at the Campobuche rural property.
According to the Guardia Civil, the employee had been installing metal sheets on the roof of a barn used to store hay, straw and equipment for caring for horses shortly before the fire broke out.
Officers from the force’s environmental protection unit (Paprona) in Ubrique launched an investigation once firefighters had brought the initial flames under control.
Their inspection of the suspected ignition point uncovered evidence that recent maintenance work had been carried out inside the barn.
Investigators concluded that electrical tools used during the work may have ignited the blaze, with sparks believed to have set fire to highly combustible materials stored inside.
The worker later admitted carrying out the roofing work and has now been placed under investigation on suspicion of causing a forest fire through gross negligence, after allegedly failing to follow the necessary safety precautions.
The wildfire is still being extinguished and has burned around 215 hectares within the Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park, a protected area that forms part of Andalucia’s Network of Natural Spaces, is designated a Special Area of Conservation and is recognised by UNESCO as a Biosphere Reserve.
The investigation continues.
Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.
