Fire Was Human-Initiated, Police Confirm
The wildfire that broke out on 25 August in the Collserola range within Barcelona city limits burned 56.9 hectares, the largest area scorched in the natural park since 1994, according to regional police. The Mossos d'Esquadra, leading the investigation alongside the Agents Rurals, have concluded the fire was not accidental but caused by human action. The blaze began along the paved and accessible stretch of Carretera Alta de les Roquetes in the Nou Barris district. While the origin was human, authorities have not yet determined whether it was premeditated or the result of negligence.
No Suspect Yet Identified
Despite ongoing inquiries, police have not detained or formally linked any individual to the fire. A man was arrested by the Guàrdia Urbana on 26 August for allegedly setting fire to rubbish containers in the nearby Prosperitat neighbourhood, around 2.5km from the fire’s origin. Due to his history of deliberate arson, he has been included among potential suspects, but no charges relating to the Collserola fire have been filed. After being questioned by the on-duty magistrate in Barcelona, the man was released with charges pending only for the container fires, a separate case involving property damage.
Impact and Emergency Response
The fire forced the precautionary confinement of the Torre Baró and Ciutat Meridiana neighbourhoods on the afternoon it broke out, with 35 residents temporarily evacuated. By the evening of 25 August, evacuees were able to return home, and an official all-clear was issued via the Civil Protection ES-Alert system on 26 August at 8:30am. The Municipal Emergency Plan (Pla d’Actuació Municipal) was activated on 25 August, downgraded to alert status on 26 August once the fire was stabilised, and fully deactivated on 31 August after firefighters declared the blaze extinguished.
Environmental and Preventive Measures
The fire affected 51.65 hectares in Barcelona and spread to 2.85 hectares in Montcada i Reixac. The Consorci del Parc Natural de Collserola is now considering vegetation clearance in key areas to prevent future fires from crossing the ridge into the park’s northern forested slopes. Due to Collserola’s status as a high-risk area for African Swine Fever, biosecurity protocols were activated during the response, including disinfection of emergency vehicles and equipment.
The Mossos stress that while the fire was definitely caused by human action, they cannot yet attribute it to any specific individual or confirm intent.
Primary sources: ajuntament.barcelona.cat, cugat.cat. Reported by elperiodico.com, regio7.cat, laciutat.cat, en.ara.cat, ARA, elnacional.cat, moncloa.com, ABC, elperiodico.cat, tvsantcugat.cat, totsantcugat.cat, El Periódico (CA).
