Guàrdia Urbana, Barcelona's municipal police, and Mossos d'Esquadra, Catalonia's regional police, arrested a 63-year-old man on Thursday 4 December after he was allegedly caught setting fire to two adjacent paper and cardboard containers on Passeig de Valldaura in Nou Barris.

The fire affected several parked vehicles, according to information attributed to Barcelona municipal sources. For residents and drivers in the area, the incident involved damage to vehicles as well as public property.

Police are investigating alleged offences of arson and damage to public property. The man was brought before the judicial authorities after his arrest.

Investigators had set up surveillance after identifying the man weeks earlier because of his repeated presence in places where container fires had occurred, municipal sources said.

Police said they found an aluminium wrapper containing flammable paraffin tablets, a lighter and a mask during a subsequent search. Investigators believe he allegedly used paraffin tablets to ignite full paper and cardboard containers before leaving as smoke appeared.

  • Police attribute three further container fires to the man, in addition to the Passeig de Valldaura incident.
  • Damage in the incidents already attributed to him exceeds €2,500.
  • Investigators are assessing whether he may be linked to about 30 similar fires recorded during the previous three months.

The possible link to around 30 fires has not been confirmed. Police said container fires had increased in recent months in Horta-Guinardó, Gràcia and Sarrià-Sant Gervasi.

Primary sources: ajuntament.barcelona.cat, Ayuntamiento de Barcelona, Ramon. Reported by larazon.es, El Periódico, Ángela Vázquez, metropoliabierta.elespanol.com, beteve.cat, Jordi Ribalaygue,Gerardo Santos,Francisco José Moya, Germán González.