Reus is at the centre of a Mossos d'Esquadra investigation after a man and a woman were arrested over three alleged forest fires in Baix Camp and an excavator fire in Vilanova d’Escornalbou.
The pair, a 24-year-old man and a 21-year-old woman, were arrested in Reus, Tarragona, last Wednesday. Police say they are suspected of damage and arson. For more local reporting, see our news coverage.
The investigation was led by the Baix Camp-Priorat police station's Investigation Unit, with support from agents from the Cambrils Urban Crime Group. It began on 18 April after a report of an intentional fire involving an excavator in Vilanova d’Escornalbou.
Five days later, on 23 April, three fires broke out in nearby areas. The first was in L’Argentera, where 580 square metres of vegetation burnt. A second fire in Pratdip affected 30 square metres, and a third in Colldejou burnt 10 square metres.
Investigators found up to seven different ignition points. They said that, without favourable humidity conditions, the fires could have affected about 5,000 hectares. During inspections of the affected areas, officers collected clues and sent them to a laboratory to help determine how the fires were started.
Police said cooperation with the Rural Agents Corps was key to the investigation. That work helped identify two people who were near the fire locations on the days of the incidents. Both suspects had also been arrested on 5 May in connection with a truck fire in Móra d’Ebre, which caused an estimated €50,000 in damage.
With the evidence gathered, Mossos d'Esquadra arrested the pair for their alleged role in the excavator fire and the three forest fires. They appeared before a judge in Reus on Thursday.