Walter Finch
A TOURIST has been arrested for allegedly using an accelerant to start a fire in his 12th-floor hotel room on the Costa del Sol.
The dramatic incident unfolded on January 2 when a column of black smoke was seen billowing into the sky from the famous Stella Maris hotel apartment block on Fuengirola’s seafront promenade at around 2:30pm.
Suspicion quickly fell on a hotel guest who had been staying in the very room where the fire began.
READ MORE: Watch: Fire engulfs tourist flats on Spain’s Costa del Sol as thick black smoke fills the sky
Police investigators have revealed the man, 28, was caught on CCTV cameras purchasing a plastic container of petrol from a nearby garage, along with a lighter from a local shop, just before the blaze was started.
Hotel maintenance staff worked alongside firefighters to extinguish the flames, which caused significant damage to the property.
Remarkably, no injuries were reported despite the serious nature of the incident.
Forensic police units examining the scene determined the fire had been deliberately set using an accelerant, ruling out any possibility of an accidental cause.
The suspect, who was staying in the room where the fire originated, allegedly fled the scene after starting the blaze, triggering a manhunt from local authorities.
Following an investigation by Fuengirola Policia Nacional, the man was arrested and charged with arson with endangerment to life.
Fuengirola Court Number 2 has ordered his immediate detention pending trial.
