Badajoz court sentences man to five years for Real Bridge fire

A court in Badajoz has sentenced a 35-year-old man to five years in prison for causing a brush fire near the Real Bridge on August 18, 2025. The incident forced traffic closures, the evacuation of a funeral home, and the destruction of a makeshift shelter.

The defendant was originally facing a potential 14-year sentence, but a plea agreement was reached between the prosecution and the defense. The court applied a reduction in the sentence due to the defendant's 57% intellectual disability, which was determined to affect his cognitive and volitional faculties.

In addition to the prison term, the defendant was ordered to pay 3,000 euros in civil liability to the individual whose shelter was destroyed by the flames. The sentence will account for the time already served in provisional detention.