MADRID, Oct. 18 (Xinhua) -- The State Prosecutor in the Spanish Region of Galicia confirmed on Wednesday that an investigation has opened to discover "whether there are indication of planned coordination" in the wave of forest fires which claimed four lives over Sunday and Monday.
Around 150 different fires began over the weekend in Galicia, with a further 35 in the neighboring region of Asturias.
As well as claiming four lives, the flames ravaged the countryside, burning over 5,000 hectares of woodland and causing damage to property.
The arrival of rain and cooler weather means the fires have now been either extinguished or are under control. A 55-year-old man has been arrested for accidentally provoking a fire close to the city of Vigo as he burned stubble.
However, the Prosecutor believes it is important to discover "if the numerous fires belong to a complex criminal initiative making up of groups who perused collective aims."
The Civil Guard in the province of Lugo confirmed that they have identified a dozen people in relation to the fires which affected the hills in the area, but advised that there have not been any arrests as they look to see if the people they have identified were actually involved in provoking the fires or have previous convictions for similar offenses.
Meanwhile, opposition groups in the Galician regional assembly have strongly criticized regional leader Alberto Feijoo for having laid off over 400 firemen.
The opposition argues that the layoffs and the environment policy of the ruling People's Party had greatly increased the risk of wildfires.
