A man who admitted to deliberately starting seven wildfires in Casas del Castañar (Cáceres) in May 2025 has been sentenced to two years in prison by the Provincial Court of Cáceres. The court suspended the term for five years, on condition that he does not reoffend and completes a specialized forest-fire prevention course. The suspension also depends on his fulfilling his civil liabilities. He confessed to using a lighter to start multiple fires across the Sierra de San Bernabé, intending to cause property damage.
The fires broke out on May 24, 2025, and affected approximately 1.5 hectares of forest, including areas within the Sierra de Gredos y Valle del Jerte Special Area of Conservation (ZEC), part of the EU’s Natura 2000 network. The site’s protected status places it under the conservation structure established by the EU Habitats Directive. Among the damaged features was the chestnut tree known as ‘Gaspar’, which the court said may have suffered irreversible harm. The seven fires affected approximately 1.5 hectares in total.
The case was resolved through an agreement between the prosecution and the defense. The Public Prosecutor reduced the original request for a six-year sentence after the defendant admitted responsibility and paid €1,467.75 in partial compensation. Also to the suspended prison sentence, he must pay a nine-month fine and reimburse the Junta de Extremadura’s Plan Infoex €1,059.47 for firefighting costs. He must also compensate the Casas del Castañar town council and the owners of the affected plots. The exact amounts will be determined during the execution of the sentence.
The prison term remains conditional, not cancelled. The suspension depends on the man committing no further offenses during the five-year period and completing the mandated course. He must also pay his civil liabilities. The judgment combines punishment with measures addressing fire prevention and the consequences of the damage, including firefighting costs and compensation to public and private parties.
Deliberate ignition in ecologically sensitive areas can damage protected land and individual trees with environmental and local significance. Issues surrounding the Spanish penal system and its impact on individuals have also come up in other cases, including the experience of a former mayor described in this report on the realities of incarceration in Spain. In Cáceres, the defendant admitted responsibility and made partial compensation. Further civil payments and compliance with the court’s conditions remain outstanding.
