Two Men Detained Over Illegal Welding Linked to Spain's Largest Recent Wildfire

Civil Guard officers in Toledo detained two men, aged 51 and 42, after evidence linked their illegal welding work to the ignition of the Almorox fire, which later merged into the Sierra Oeste de Madrid blaze. The welding took place on a forest plot where fire-risk levels were classified as extreme, making such activities forbidden. Arrests were made at 8:55 a.m. in Almorox, and the suspects are scheduled to appear before Court No. 2 in Torrijos later that day.

The fire originated in a residential development, spread to the Madrid municipality of Villa del Prado, and combined with two other fires, creating Spain’s largest recent wildfire covering more than 60,000 hectares. The investigation was carried out by Seprona agents together with the Environmental Agents Corps of the Toledo Provincial Delegation for Sustainable Development. The Civil Guard reported that the incident forced evacuations of several neighborhoods and caused substantial damage to homes and infrastructure in both affected communities.