The Civil Guard contingent in Zamora continued the inquiry into a Portuguese national believed to be involved in a wildfire incident. The individual under investigation was caught in the act by members of the Zamora unit, who were preparing to shift attention to a new investigative focus as the case evolved.
Efforts intensified as the Civil Guard coordinated with Environmental Officials from each district to boost prevention and investigative operations across the Zamora province. The heightened activity targeted high-risk zones, especially in the Sanabria region and areas such as Hermisende, San Ciprián, and Lubian, all identified as particularly vulnerable to forest fires.
In line with the Forest Fire Prevention and Action Order issued by the Zamora Civil Guard Command for the year, prevention measures were expanded in frontier zones near neighboring countries, with active collaboration from the Portuguese Republican National Guard.
During the operation, authorities observed a smoke plume in a difficult-to-access tract near the border with Portugal. There, two ignition events had already occurred, and the suspect allegedly attempted to instigate a third fire as the investigation progressed.
A rapid response by the field agents helped curb the potential spread of the blaze. The fire self-contained and did not require intervention from the Castilla y León Fire Brigade on this occasion.
The person under investigation, identified as the alleged author, appeared before the First Degree Court No. 1 in Puebla de Sanabria to respond to the charges and provide statements related to the case.
On behalf of SEPRONA and in cooperation with the Castilla y León Fire Service in Zamora, the inquiry continues to determine whether the individual’s actions are connected to other forest fires that occurred in the same area, as investigators review additional footage, witness statements, and environmental indicators to build a comprehensive timeline of events. [Source: Civil Guard communications]