Lorraine Williamson
A 28-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the major Las Peñas de Riglos wildfire in Huesca, as investigators focus on roadworks close to where the blaze is believed to have started.
Officers from the Guardia Civil’s environmental protection service, Seprona, arrested the man on suspicion of a forest fire offence on Wednesday. The investigation is examining whether construction materials associated with works on the A-132 road could have been involved in starting the fire.
The arrest marks a significant development in the investigation into a blaze that has already affected more than 5,700 hectares, forced hundreds of people from their homes and triggered a major firefighting operation across northern Aragón.
Investigators focus on A-132 roadworks
Seprona officers identified a storage area containing construction materials at the suspected point of origin of the fire.
The materials came from works being carried out on the A-132 and are now being investigated as a possible source of the blaze. Earlier reporting had already placed the origin of the fire in the works compound and said investigators were examining recordings supplied by the contractor.
However, the arrest should not be interpreted as evidence that the wildfire was deliberately started.
Investigators have not established publicly that this was an arson attack, and the precise sequence of events that caused the fire remains under investigation.
Fire grows beyond 5,700 hectares
While investigators examine how the blaze began, firefighters continue to face an extremely difficult situation on the ground.
The affected area has increased to around 5,705 hectares, with the fire perimeter stretching approximately 58 kilometres. Aragón’s wildfire emergency plan remains at Operational Situation 2, Level 2.
Around 577 people have been evacuated, including residents of nine communities, while a further 100 people were ordered to leave a campsite as the fire advanced on Wednesday night. Santa Cilia de Jaca and Binacua have also faced confinement measures because of smoke.
The situation deteriorated during a difficult night, with regional Interior minister Roberto Bermúdez de Castro describing the evolution of the fire on Thursday morning as unfavourable.
San Juan de la Peña under threat
Particular concern now surrounds the fire’s advance towards San Juan de la Peña, an area of considerable environmental, cultural and historical importance.
Firefighters are concentrating resources on preventing the flames reaching the protected landscape and its historic monasteries, while also strengthening the defence of communities that could be threatened by the fire.
The Military Emergency Unit (UME) has reinforced the operation further, sending personnel from BIEM III in Bétera, Valencia, to Huesca. According to the UME, the additional troops will join operations to protect populated areas and support efforts to extinguish the Las Peñas de Riglos fire.
Around 30 aircraft are expected to support the extensive ground operation on Thursday, although high temperatures and strengthening winds could complicate efforts to contain the blaze.
Several roads have also been affected as emergency services attempt to maintain access for firefighting operations.
Questions over how the fire began
The discovery of construction materials at the suspected origin means attention will increasingly turn towards the circumstances surrounding the A-132 works.
Investigators will now need to determine whether activity connected with the road project caused the ignition, whether required wildfire-prevention measures were being followed and what responsibility, if any, should be attributed to the arrested man.
Those questions remain unanswered.
For now, the arrest represents the most significant development yet in the investigation into the Las Peñas de Riglos fire, while hundreds of firefighters continue trying to prevent one of Aragón’s largest current wildfires from causing further damage.