An 81-year-old woman has been arrested in the Algarve on suspicion of deliberately starting at least one forest fire in the rural area of Revezes, near Ameixial in the municipality of Loulé, the Judiciary Police (PJ) confirmed on Monday.
In a statement released today, the PJ said the elderly woman is suspected of setting fire to forest land on 13 September and is strongly believed to be linked to several other blazes reported in the same location in recent months.
Investigators believe she used a direct flame to ignite dry, flammable undergrowth of dead vegetation, highly susceptible to fire.
The authorities noted that the region had already seen six fire incidents since 12 March 2024, all concentrated in Revezes.
In the most recent case, firefighting units from Almodôvar, Loulé, São Brás de Alportel and Faro were called to the scene, along with support from the Ameixial Parish Council and a GNR (National Republican Guard) patrol.
Conditions on the day were especially hazardous. The Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) had issued a red alert for maximum rural fire risk, forecasting temperatures of 38°C and humidity levels below 30%, creating a perfect storm for wildfires.
The investigation and arrest were carried out by the Southern Directorate of the PJ, in coordination with the Southern Zone Working Group for Ignition Reduction—a task force involving officers from the GNR, the Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests (ICNF), and the PJ itself.
The suspect is expected to appear before a judge for an initial hearing, where prosecutors will seek the imposition of preventive measures, which could include house arrest or pre-trial detention.
In a strange coincidence, another octogenarian of the same age was also arrested this Monday in Northern Portugal on the same charge. The Judiciary Police (PJ), through its Northern Directorate and with the collaboration of the Task Force for the Reduction of Rural Ignitions – Litoral Norte (comprising members of the GNR, ICNF and PJ), have identified and arrested the 81-year-old woman suspected of starting at least five forest fires between 26 June and 7 August this year, in the locality of Outeiro, Paredes.
The blazes repeatedly broke out in the same area, at similar times of day but on different dates. On at least two occasions, several ignition points were set in succession, apparently with the intention of maximising the spread of the fire.
The incidents endangered a significant stretch of woodland and a number of homes, with close to 20 hectares of forest and scrubland burned. Greater damage was averted only thanks to the swift detection and prompt intervention of firefighting teams.
The suspect offered no explanation for her actions. She is due to appear before a judge for her first judicial questioning, at which appropriate pre-trial measures will be determined.
