The investigating judge in the case of the major fire at Las Peñas de Riglos has opened a separate civil liability file and requested extensive information from several authorities. According to the court filing, the Gobierno de Aragón is to provide a complete list of contracts awarded as part of the work on the road A-132 — including the companies contracted and any subcontractors. The judge is also seeking proof of liability insurance held by the companies involved, as well as the safety and fire-prevention protocols in force at the site. According to the case file, the suspected point of origin of the fire is a materials storage area near Santa María de la Peña.
At the same time, the court has asked the authorities to quantify the financial consequences of the fire systematically. The environmental department of the Gobierno de Aragón is to assess the costs of fire-fighting and the damage to the environment and natural resources, including impacts on flora, fauna, biodiversity, ecosystems, soil, watercourses, landscape and natural heritage. Requests in the same terms were sent to the Diputación Provincial de Huesca and to the Administración General del Estado, which are to set out their expenditure on fire-fighting and relief measures. Protección Civil was asked to provide a list of people who were evacuated, accommodated or relocated.
According to official and court information available so far, the fire affected around 14,500 hectares, led to the evacuation of 19 villages and temporarily affected more than a thousand people. The Guardia Civil is investigating. On the basis of the evidence available, the Fiscalía considers it likely that neither a natural event nor simple negligence explains the outbreak, and is investigating a specific ignition source at the suspected point of origin. Analysis of collected evidence and seized mobile phones is ongoing. The Gobierno de Aragón asked the judge responsible in Jaca to remand a worker connected with the construction site in custody without bail. The worker is listed as a suspect in the proceedings. As things stand, no public decision has been made on the application.
The newly opened civil liability file is intended to give the court a basis for clarifying possible claims for compensation by the public authorities for response and restoration costs, as well as environmental damage. It will also document the responsibilities within the site’s employment, safety and insurance arrangements. Whether, and to what extent, companies or their contractors will ultimately be held liable remains open and depends on further evidence.
Editor: Andreas M. Brucker (Article created with AI assistance).