PJ criminal police are investigating a series of suspicious fires that have broken out across the Algarve in recent days, many of them starting during the night.
The most recent fire occurred early Wednesday morning around 2.30am in the Monchique area.
A day earlier, five fires were reported around the same time in Silves, Monchique, and Portimão, all within a few kilometres of each other.
Five days before that, a nighttime fire in Vale Covo, Loulé, also raised suspicion. High temperatures helped the flames spread quickly, threatening forested areas and nearby homes. Firefighters, already on high alert in the Barranco do Velho area, managed to bring it under control.
In that case, PJ investigators acted fast, arresting a 29-year-old man who allegedly used fuel to start the fire in an isolated area. He was already known to police for similar offences.
Authorities are now working to determine if these fires are connected.
