Preventive arrest of arson suspect in Madeira

The suspect in the forest fire in the Madeira municipality of Calheta was heard in court this Saturday and placed in preventive detention – a coercive measure replaced by hospitalization in a psychiatric hospital, a court source said.

Madeira District President Filipe Camara told Lusa that a 45-year-old man arrested on Friday on suspicion of arson in a forested area in Calheta, western Madeira, which spread to the neighboring municipality of Porto Moniz on the island’s northern coast, is accused of committing a crime related to with a forest fire.

“He was placed in preventive detention, which was replaced by preventive hospitalization in a psychiatric ward,” said the person in charge.

In a statement, the Judicial Police (JP) said the suspect was arrested “at the scene of the crime.”

According to the Regional Civil Protection Service of Madeira, since October 4, several fires have been recorded in the municipalities of Ribeira Brava, Ponta do Sol, Camara de Lobos and Calheta, located in the west of the island, and since Thursday also in the municipality of Porto Moniz. on the north coast.

The Madeira government declared a fire emergency on Thursday and activated the Regional Civil Protection Emergency Plan for five days until Monday.

The Madeira archipelago has been under an orange weather warning since last week due to persistent high temperatures exceeding 30 degrees per day. The situation will last until 23:00 Sunday.

The Civil Protection of Madeira reported that four fires remain active this Saturday on the western and northern coast of Madeira, two of which broke out at night, but do not threaten homes, the regional government said, noting that the fight involves 100 operational personnel. .