The Judicial Police today arrested whom they believe to be the Benagil arsonist.
Several fires deliberately were set between Marinha and Benagil on August 4th, destroying wooden railings along the pathways and those stopping people falling down the various holes that pockmark the area.
Homes in the area were not affected but only due to the swift intervention of Lagoa fire service personnel. The damage to this natural area was extensive with a hectare of tinder dry flora now destroyed.
A man was seen setting at least one fire and, as he was well known by locals, the police knew whom to look for but he then tried to set another fire in a pine forest at Benagil and the game of cat and mouse was on.
The suspect already has a criminal record and known mental disorders. He will be in court shortly to hear whether he will be held in custody pending trial.
Arson has been the cause of many of Portugal spate of summer fires which has left fire crews exhausted as they battle with blazes across the country. The Bengil arsonist is the 37th suspect to have been arrested this season, leaving police with many suspicious incidents still to investigate.
This year, fires in Portugal have destroyed over half the total of 117,000 hectares burned in Europe, a figure four times higher than the average destroyed in Portugal between 2008 and 2015.
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