The collaboration between the Environmental Agents of Torremolinos and the Local Police of Benalmádena has allowed for the identification and arrest of the alleged perpetrators of several fires on the access road to Cañada del Lobo.
On the night of Friday, July 17, a joint operation managed to locate and detain the alleged perpetrators of starting fires during a period of high risk for forest fires. The operation, coordinated between the Environmental Agents of Torremolinos and the Drone Unit of the Local Police of Benalmádena, concluded weeks of surveillance in the area of the access road to Cañada del Lobo.
An Investigation That Began in June
The first indications date back to June 24, when the Environmental Agents of the Environment Delegation of the Torremolinos City Council detected remnants of bonfires at various points along the road. Given the seriousness of the events and the high risk they posed, the agents initiated continuous monitoring of the area.
Additionally, they informed the staff of the Cable Car and regular hikers in the area so that, in case of detecting any similar activity, they could immediately inform the authorities. On July 10, a new photographic report confirmed the recurrence of these behaviours, reinforcing suspicions about the existence of intentional actions.
The information gathered was shared with the Local Police of Benalmádena, considering the proximity of the site to that municipality and the convenience of optimizing available resources for monitoring the events.
Joint Operation with Drones
Thanks to the joint work carried out, the use of material resources from the Environmental Delegation of Torremolinos, and the intervention of the Drone Unit of the Local Police of Benalmádena, it was possible on the night of Friday, July 17, to locate, identify, and detain the alleged perpetrators.
These behaviours posed a particularly serious risk as we were in a period of high danger for forest fires, jeopardizing not only the conservation of the forest and the existing biodiversity in this natural space but also the safety of the urban developments and homes located around the access to Cañada del Lobo.
The Torremolinos City Council wishes to acknowledge the professionalism, initiative, and swift action of the Environmental Agents of the Environment Delegation, as well as the excellent coordination maintained with the Local Police of Benalmádena, whose collaboration has been crucial in clarifying the events and preventing them from having much more serious consequences, municipal sources have stated.
Call for Citizen Responsibility
The City Council reminds citizens that any use of fire in forest areas or their influence during periods of high fire danger can trigger fires with irreparable consequences for natural heritage and for people's safety. Therefore, a call is made for maximum responsibility and to immediately report to the authorities any behaviour that may pose a risk to the natural environment.
Residents of the urban developments near Cañada del Lobo, such as Los Álamos or El Pinillo, have expressed their relief following the arrests, as the repeated fires had generated great concern in the community. The swift action of the agents has prevented the situation from escalating into a larger fire, which would have endangered both the natural area and the adjacent homes.
Investigations remain open to determine if the detainees could be linked to other similar incidents in the area. For now, they are expected to be brought before a judge in the coming hours, where they will have to answer for an attempted forest fire crime.
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