Seven charged in connection with Montes de Malaga fire

POLICE have charged seven people in connection with the Montes de Malaga fire earlier this month. 

Seven unidentified individuals have been brought up on charges for allegedly starting the fire which scorched more than 200 hectares in Montes de Malaga on August 10. 

The blaze ravaged 273 hectares of scrubland and pinewood in Los Anaya-Campo de Tiro Guadalmedina. Malaga firefighters and police evacuated 17 people from nearby country houses as well as staff and holiday-makers staying at Hotel Rural Humaina.

The investigation that  led to the identification of the suspects focused on the Tiro Guadalmedina shooting range and police determined that the fire was the result of careless firearms practice, according to a statement released by the Junta de Andalucia. A round fired reportedly hit stones, which resulted in sparks igniting a fire that spread rapidly due to the thick vegetation in the area. 

The statement went on to say that the area lacked the necessary firebreak required by current legislation, and this may have contributed to the rapid spread of the flames. 

This comes after a forest fire broke out in Cenes de la Vega in Granada last week, which forced the authorities to close the A-395 motorway to facilitate the emergency services in their work. 

Sources said the fire started at 4pm in a wooded area known as Lomas de Genil. It then spread through Camino de los Neveros and approached Monachil. The emergency services reported that the flames and smoke, visible from as far away as Granada, resulted in more than 150 calls to the emergency 112 number.