Woman Sentenced to 10 Years for Arson After Admitting Guilt, Causing Evacuation

A woman who set fire to her apartment in October 2024 will now face a 10-year prison sentence, down from the 18 years initially requested by prosecutors. The blaze put residents of a five-story building in Santa Cruz de Tenerife's Añaza neighborhood at risk.

This reduced sentence comes after the woman admitted to starting the fire and expressed regret. Lawyers for the defense and for insurance companies, who paid for repairs to the homes and building, agreed with the prosecutor's revised proposal. The woman will also have to pay around 59,000 euros to cover the insurance payouts for the damage.

She told the court she wanted to "scare" the two men she had rented rooms to, citing difficulties she was having with them. The woman, who described herself as a "poly-drug addict" at the time, said that when she realized how serious the fire was, she alerted her tenants, went into the hallway, and tried to put out the flames with a fire extinguisher. A neighbor confirmed seeing her with an empty fire extinguisher. He then attempted to use another extinguisher from the first floor, but the heat was too intense.

The fire damaged eleven apartments, forcing many residents to flee to the rooftop as smoke and flames blocked their escape routes.