The seventh of these fires was in Caimari (part of Selva) on Monday. Selva police and the Guardia Civil were forced to evacuate occupants of a number of properties because of the proximity of the fire. The arrested man, identified as Francisco B., was seen by a drone's camera starting the fire in a finca and then leaving the scene on a motorcycle.
At the time of his arrest, he was drunk, while he had items such as lighters in his possession. He used to work for Ibanat, which is a Balearic government environment ministry agency. Tasks that Ibanat performs include fire protection and fighting fires.
Sources explain that the Guardia Civil had taken a statement from him as a witness to previous fires. He was under suspicion as he had alerted the emergency services to these fires.
In all instances, the fires were dealt with swiftly and caused only limited damage. But they generated considerable alarm, as it was evident that they were deliberate.
2 comments
To be able to write a comment, you have to be registered and logged in
Now this is mental!
I can remember in the 1970s when a serving firefighter was torching setting alight to farm buildings freshly filled with hay and straw crops in the summer. My family farm south New Forest Hampshire England was circled by police as we were a prime target. My father selling hay at the gate informed a buyer, a fireman wife that he and a friend were in waiting for him and word must have got to the fire set a lighter. The fireman would set alight to a barn just after pub closing. Then get the call to attend to put the fire out. The fireman was always the or one of to get to his station. Police finally luckily caught the fireman who was lighting the fires.