The police operation launched to investigate the Guájares forest fire a year ago has found a possible suspect: a 62-year-old, Infoca Firefighter.

Seprona’s aptly named police operation (Lost Oasis) identified the alleged culprit, who had been allocated fire-prevention tasks on the day that the fire broke out.

Specialist from the Brigada de Investigación de Incendios Forestales belonging to the Junta de Andalucía managed to pinpoint the exact spot where the fire began; a fire that burnt out 5,194 hectares of forested hillside within the municipalities of Los Guájares, Albuñuelas, El Pinar, El Valle and Vélez de Benaudalla during the 27 days of intensive work battling to put it out. At one point the fire had a 60 km front.

Fruit of the statements taken (over a hundred) and numerous technical reports and the laborious examination of physical evidence left by the flames, the experts found the exact spot where it began. In fact, they even used techniques normally only used to solve homicides and kidnappings. All this led to the placing of the suspect in the exact location at the exact time when the fire began.

The Plataforma por el Monte Andaluz has sent a communiqué congratulating all those that participated in the investigation, as well as the members of Infoca who fought tirelessly to put the said fire out.

In the meantime, the Almuñécar fire still burns although Infoca classified it evolution four hours ago as Estabilizado.

(News/Noticias: Los Guajares, Costa del Sol, Granada, Andalucia)