The arrests of five individuals as those responsible for causing fires due to “negligence” no longer comes as a surprise, and that is the worst part…
Most regions of the country were on orange alert due to strong winds, which means thatrestrictions are in place regarding outdoor and agricultural work and, of course, the use of grills for… grilling. And yet, five fires broke out because some people did exactly that: they carried out work—including welding—and cooked on outdoor grills.
The question is: What don’t we understand? What is it that makes us ignore the warnings and prohibitions, leading us to do things that could cause a fire? And the very next question has to do with “negligence.” What exactly does that mean? No, we’re not judging anyone; we’re simply trying to understand how violating a framework established to prevent the worst-case scenarios—as much as possible—can be characterized as negligence.
Because a lightning strike that causes a fire cannot be prevented, but a citizen who decides to barbecue in 7-beaufort winds or someone who chooses to weld outdoors next to dry grass and right next to a forest—I’m sorry, but they must know that they are not being negligent. The same goes for anyone using a threshing machine, a cutting wheel—anything that could cause a spark.
These factors are catalysts. From January 1 through June 27, 2026, a total of 484 administrative fines, totaling 552,267.29 euros, and 128 arrests have been made under the procedure for offenses caught in the act. Of these, 120 were for fires caused by negligence and 8 by arson.
The Fire Department reminds the public that the overwhelming majority of fires continue to be caused by human negligence, noting that “strict adherence to fire safety measures and avoiding activities that may cause sparks or ignition are essential for protecting human life, the natural environment, and citizens’ property.”
The truth is that last year, the year before that, and the year before that, and so on, such incidents were not uncommon, even in the midst of heat waves where prolonged high temperatures had turned everything into… kindling. The 3,000-euro fine isn’t small, but it doesn’t seem to be a deterrent either.
If we don’t realize for ourselves that the attitude of “come on, what’s the big deal” or “we’ll manage” —which is somewhat reminiscent of the behavior on the roads where we think we’re all the best drivers and nothing will happen to us even if we’re going 200—it will be difficult to prevent these incidents. In any case, “negligence” is one thing, overestimating one’s own abilities is another, and, above all, indifference to recommendations and prohibitions is yet another.
