A man is facing allegations of igniting the most extensive wildfire in Spanish history using a banned construction tool.
The individual, identified as a construction worker, was apprehended for supposedly initiating the destructive inferno that swept across central Spain, prompting approximately 90,000 residents to evacuate. The massive fire originated near Navaluenga, Ávila, on July 22, coinciding with two separate wildfires erupting in Madrid on the same day. Concerns arose that the blazes might converge, but the Madrid fires eventually merged on their own.
If proven guilty of causing the fire due to negligence, the unnamed man could be sentenced to between five to ten years in prison. According to firefighters, the man was operating his excavator’s hydraulic hammer to crush rocks, leading to sparks igniting the dry vegetation, as reported by El Mundo.
The accused construction worker denied using the machine, claiming he had only gone to retrieve it at the site. Authorities stated that the work was conducted without proper authorization, and the excavator lacked mandatory fire-extinguishing equipment. The usage of such machinery is prohibited during Spain’s summer months due to the elevated risk posed by summer heatwaves and fire hazards.
The wildfire quickly spread out of control, scorching an estimated 193 square miles and displacing around 90,000 individuals from their homes in one of Spain’s most severe wildfires. Ecological Transition Minister Sara Aagesen disclosed that approximately 77,000 hectares were impacted by the fires nationwide, with Ávila accounting for 50,000 hectares. She highlighted that the wildfire in the Ávila region marked the largest in recent Spanish history.
Regional president Alfonso Fernández Mañueco asserted that negligence was the root cause of the fire and announced that the Castilla y León government would act as a private prosecutor against the individual responsible.
Despite efforts to stabilize the major blaze affecting Ávila and Madrid, Spain’s Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska cautioned of challenging conditions ahead due to strong winds and soaring temperatures. While some evacuation orders were lifted as conditions improved, restrictions persisted in the severely impacted areas.
Authorities also issued warnings about another wildfire in the northwestern province of Zamora, prompting evacuations of six towns and shelter-in-place orders affecting about 1,000 people. The forecast projected temperatures nearing 40°C in parts of Spain, with the heatwave expected to endure until at least Sunday.
Aemet, Spain’s state meteorological agency, alerted that the fire danger level would continue to escalate to extreme levels, impeding firefighting operations.