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SPANISH POLICE are questioning a former forest ranger they believe is responsible for starting three separate fires that have swept through the Valencia region of southwest Spain. Others are burning in the nearby areas of Murcia and Alicante.

Serafin Castellano, head of security of Murcia region, said he believed that at least one of the fires in his region was also a case of arson. It is always considered suspicious when fires break out simultaneously on several fronts.