Two residents of Anna were taken to hospital after inhaling smoke and two Civil Guard officers suffered minor burns during a house fire while a family remained inside the building. Officers arrested a 36-year-old man as the suspected cause of the fire and damage after rescuing him from the property. He was also injured and remained under guard in hospital.
Officers went to the home following a report of an aggressive person damaging the property, according to the Civil Guard account carried by À Punt and Radio Xàtiva. Smoke was coming from the upper floor when they arrived. The man was locked inside and did not respond, leading officers to break through a locked door.
They found dense smoke and several household items burning. The Civil Guard says the man was adding objects from the living room to the fire, including mattresses and textiles. Officers removed and restrained him, taking him to safety before turning their attention to the flames.
The effort to put out the fire began before firefighters arrived. Civil guards and local residents used buckets of water, hoses and an extinguisher from an official vehicle until the blaze was out. Both officers were affected by smoke and sustained minor burns. Two residents required urgent transfer for smoke inhalation, while another person with limited mobility was evacuated from an adjoining home.
The owner and his family were on the ground floor. The released information does not report injuries to them, but their presence underlies the suspected charge of causing a fire that endangered life or physical safety, alongside criminal damage. These are provisional allegations and do not amount to a conviction.
The Civil Guard post in Canals is handling the investigation. Its case file has been sent to Court Section No. 2 of the Civil and Investigating Division of the Xàtiva Trial Court. No subsequent judicial decision or financial assessment of the damage to the home has yet been announced.