A farmer is under investigation after a massive wildfire ripped through more than 400 hectares of protected countryside in southern Spain—sparking outrage over how easily the blaze could have been avoided.
Spain’s Guardia Civil say the fire in Sierra Espuña was caused by a botched agricultural burn that was not properly put out.
The inferno broke out on March 29 in the Llano de las Cabras area, a specially protected Natura 2000 zone for birdlife, spanning the municipalities of Totana and Aledo. In total, 429 hectares of land were destroyed, including Aleppo pine forest, scrubland and low vegetation—some of it protected.
Specialist officers from SEPRONA, the Civil Guard’s environmental unit, launched an investigation and quickly traced the origin of the fire back to a burn carried out four days earlier. The farmer had been disposing of vine cuttings from uprooted vineyards—but failed to fully extinguish the blaze.
Investigators believe smouldering embers were left behind, and when strong winds picked up days later, a spark was carried around 12 metres into nearby woodland—triggering the wildfire that rapidly spread across the dry terrain.
Although the farmer had official permission to carry out controlled burning, officers discovered the fire was lit on a plot not covered by that authorisation. They also found several breaches of strict safety rules governing agricultural burns.
The individual has now been identified and is being treated as a suspect in a negligent forest fire offence, with legal proceedings underway.
The case has once again raised concerns about fire prevention in rural Spain, particularly in protected natural areas where a single mistake can have devastating environmental consequences.
