A Calasparrian is facing prison sentences of between 18 months and five years after a fire set to burn prunings spread along the banks of the river Segura last month.
The fire burned 3,200 square metres of vegetation along the river Banks before being extinguished by local fire crews.
Specialists from the Service for the Protection of Nature of the Guardia Civil (SEPRONA) investigated the fire and identified that a 44 year old Calasparrian was responsible for the blaze.
He has appeared before magistrates in Caravaca charged with starting a forest fire through negligence.
Seprona reminds residents who live in areas declared to be woodland or “monte” there are a series of safety measures they need to take before setting a fire. They include creating fire breaks around the area of the fire of at least two metres and have at least 50 litres of water on site. The area may not be abandoned until the fire is fully extinguished and the ashes must be kept under observation for a minimum of 12 hours.
