The search for answers over the Collserola wildfire has taken a new turn since the police have detained a man accused of deliberately setting fire to rubbish containers less than two kilometres from where the blaze began. Investigators are now examining whether the two incidents are connected, but the evidence is not yet enough to say that the 46-year-old started the forest fire. He has been released after appearing in court and exercising his right to remain silent.

The man was detained by the Guàrdia Urbana de Barcelona on the morning of Wednesday, August 26, after officers reportedly caught him burning several rubbish containers in Calle Palamós, in Nou Barris. Witnesses had pointed police towards the man, saying they had seen him deliberately setting the containers alight. The incident is being investigated as a damage offence, while his possible involvement in the much larger forest fire is being examined separately. 

The distance between the fires

Calle Palamós is around 1.6 kilometres from the point where the Collserola fire began, making the location one of the reasons investigators are examining a possible connection. The forest fire started near the carretera Alta de Roquetes and spread through vegetation in the Collserola area. The final affected area was updated to around 54 hectares, according to the Bombers de Barcelona and Barcelona authorities. The fire was declared controlled on Wednesday evening, although firefighters continued monitoring the area for remaining hotspots. 

The damage was concentrated mainly in woodland, scrub and other forest vegetation. The Collserola Natural Park said the fire affected more than 50 hectares of forest land, predominantly shrub-land, in an area that had already suffered a significant fire in 2016.  The latest figure is therefore considerably higher than the provisional estimates issued while the fire was still spreading. Initial reports put the affected area at around 25 hectares before the figure rose as the full extent of the damage became clearer. 

Evidence being examined

Investigators are also looking at evidence recovered from the point where the forest fire began. The Mossos d’Esquadra and Agents Rurals found a lighter and a cigarette butt at the site and are examining them as part of the investigation into the cause of the fire.

Investigators are also assessing whether there is any connection between those findings and the man detained over the container fires. That evidence has not yet established if the detainee actually started the wildfire.

Released after appearing before judge

The 46-year-old was brought before a Barcelona duty court on Thursday. He chose not to collaborate and was released. According to the latest reporting, he remains under investigation at the moment for the damage caused to the containers but the investigators must now establish whether the two incidents were connected or whether their proximity was coincidental.

That means examining the man’s movements, the timing of the container fires and the physical evidence recovered from the forest. Any link would need to be established through evidence rather than the fact that the two locations were relatively close together. The investigation therefore remains open, with the 54 hectares of damaged forest providing the scale of what authorities are trying to establish. The focus has shifted from simply determining how the fire started to whether investigators can connect its origin with a man already accused of deliberately starting other fires nearby.

Playa de Palma descended into chaos on Thursday afternoon, August 27, after dozens of illegal street sellers surrounded Local Police officers attempting to arrest one of their colleagues.

Police reinforcements were called in as tensions rose in the popular Mallorca tourist resort, with National Police officers joining the operation and part of the beachfront temporarily restricted. No injuries were reported, although Palma Town Hall said police vehicles suffered material damage during the incident.

Looky looky man arrested in Playa de Palma

Esto ha ocurrido en la playa El Arenal de Palma Mallorca al cortar el acceso al paseo a los manteros que han respondido de forma violenta. pic.twitter.com/juEnPTFQKK

— Alt Right España 𝕏 (@AltRightEspan) August 27, 2026

The confrontation began at around 4pm on Thursday, August 27, when officers from Palma Local Police’s tourist section were carrying out preventive checks against illegal street trading in the Playa de Palma area.

Police intercepted one of the sellers and arrested him over an alleged offence against industrial property, according to reports from the local authorities and Spanish media. What happened next turned a routine enforcement operation into a major police response.

Around 40 other so-called ‘looky-looky men’ got together around the police officers and attempted to stop their colleague from being taken away. Some reports have put the number of people involved even higher, but the official account from Palma Town Hall refers to around 40 sellers. Local officers called for reinforcements as the group continued to obstruct the arrest and tensions increased.

National Police called in to support officers

Extra units from Palma Local Police, including officers assigned to the tourist area, were sent to the scene. National Police were also requested to attend as the situation became more difficult to control. Officers from both forces then worked to keep the area under control while the arrested man was taken away.

Part of the first line of Playa de Palma had to be restricted during the operation, creating an unusual scene for tourists enjoying one of Mallorca’s busiest holiday areas. The arrested seller was eventually taken to police facilities in an unmarked vehicle, bringing the confrontation to an end. Videos and photographs taken by people in the area quickly circulated online, showing the large police presence and crowds gathered around the operation.

Mallorca cracks down on illegal street trading

Thursday’s confrontation comes after months of increased police activity targeting illegal street trading in Playa de Palma. Palma Local Police and National Police carried out a major operation in July involving around 70 officers. Twelve street sellers were identified; four were officially reported by police for alleged breaches of local bylaws, and a much wider investigation was opened. Multiple tourists have also been fined during summer 2027 for buying goods from these people.

Police have also seized hundreds of items suspected of being destined for illegal sale during previous operations in the resort. Another crackdown in July saw sellers flee through the busy nightlife area, with some reportedly entering bars as officers moved in. Palma has also increased its summer policing presence, with a special operation providing almost round-the-clock coverage in Playa de Palma and additional officers deployed to tackle issues including illegal trading, public drinking and noise.

Palma promises tougher action

Mayor Jaime Martinez’s administration has made greater control of Playa de Palma one of its priorities, arguing that stronger enforcement is needed to protect residents, visitors and legitimate businesses.

Thursday’s confrontation is likely to add further pressure for continued police patrols in one of Mallorca’s busiest tourist destinations.
For holidaymakers, the incident also provides another reminder that the familiar sellers walking along the beach and promenade are operating in an increasingly closely monitored environment.

Palma Town Hall has condemned any attempt to obstruct police officers carrying out their duties and thanked National Police for supporting the Local Police during the incident.

Flames tore through protected pine woods at El Saler just south of Valencia this Thursday after a fire started around 1pm near Gola de Pujol in the Devesa. Wind changes later in the afternoon made containment harder and pushed authorities to empty the village, nearby campsites and stretches of beach. An ES-Alert went out to mobiles telling people to get out.

How the fire started and grew

Smoke first appeared shortly after midday in the Gola de Pujol area of the Devesa del Saler, part of Albufera Natural Park. Valencia city firefighters and Generalitat forest crews moved in quickly, with aerial support arriving soon afterwards. Crews thought they had the north and south flanks roughly contained by mid-afternoon. A change in wind direction then forced them to concentrate on the northern side and call for extra aircraft. Juan Carlos Caballero, Valencia’s emergencies councillor, said those wind shifts were what made the job so difficult.

#IFValència pic.twitter.com/9fsQcwIkE2

— alexmontesd (@alexmontesd) August 27, 2026

Sideinfo high-pressure water cannons around El Saler were switched on as a precaution to soak trees and shrubs and slow any further spread. Local police emptied a car park and one apartment block known as Torre 1 early on because of the dense smoke. Beaches close to the flames were also cleared.

Enésimo #IIFF en La Devesa de El Saler.
De nuevo la pesadilla. pic.twitter.com/BMLMgY0Jns

— AAVV DEHESA EL SALER (@AavvSaler) February 12, 2024

Evacuations, buses and closed roads

Cecopal, the local emergency centre, ordered a full preventive evacuation of El Saler village and the campsites once the fire entered the Devesa and the emergency plan was raised to situation 2. Free buses were laid on. Anyone without their own transport was told to gather at the DGT exam-centre roundabout so they could be directed to safety.

CV-500, the main road linking El Saler with Valencia, was closed in both directions. Police asked drivers heading in from El Perellonet to find another route and warned people not to approach the area so crews could work. Smoke and ash drifted far enough to be noticed in Betera.

#IIFFdevesasaler
Medios aéreos trabajando, con precision quirúrgica.@GVAbforestals @Agent_indignat @bomberosvlc @BombersValencia @AMGVA pic.twitter.com/tSfbPE9rQC

— AAVV DEHESA EL SALER (@AavvSaler) August 27, 2026

Crews, aircraft and the UME on scene

Valencia firefighters sent multiple crews and equipment, including an ambulance, command vehicles and a drone unit. Generalitat forest firefighters added ground and helicopter teams plus a local brigade. Two planes joined the Generalitat aircraft already overhead.

No hectare figure had been released by early evening, and the cause remained under investigation. Albufera’s pine woods sit close to homes, tourist campsites and the coast, so even a modest fire quickly becomes a problem for both people and a protected landscape that has seen smaller incidents in recent years.

Residents who stayed in nearby buildings were asked to keep doors and windows shut against the smoke. Officials repeated the same message: stay well away, listen to police and firefighters, and check updates from the Valencia town hall and the city fire service.

Valencia has poured a lot of money into wildfire surveillance and prevention in recent years, including watchtowers, drones and the firefighting system now in use at El Saler. Valencia has strengthened wildfire prevention with an over €20 million investment.

The area is considered one of the most beautiful and pristine natural forests in the Valencia area and an essential sanctuary for hibernating flamingos.