Two suspects arrested after forest fires near Paris destroyed over 1,300 hectares
French emergency services are battling two fires in the Fontainebleau forest that have destroyed over 1,300 hectares. Police have arrested two people, including an 18-year-old, on suspicion of arson.
Two suspects arrested after forest fires near Paris destroyed over 1,300 hectares
French fire services battled two forest fires on Monday in the Fontainebleau region, approximately 60 kilometres south-east of Paris, which have destroyed over 1,300 hectares of woodland. Police arrested two suspects as part of an investigation into suspected arson.
The first fire broke out on Sunday in the Fontainebleau forest, a former royal hunting estate classified as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Driven by a heatwave, the fire spread rapidly, disrupting railway and road traffic during a particularly busy holiday weekend.
The Interior Minister, Laurent Nuñez, indicated that the flames had spread across nearly 1,200 hectares by Monday afternoon. A second fire then broke out, destroying approximately 100 additional hectares. Around 1,000 people were evacuated from Fontainebleau and the surrounding areas.
Among the two suspects arrested, one is an 18-year-old young man with no criminal record. According to a source close to the investigation, at the time of his arrest, his hands were blackened by soot and he was in possession of a lighter.
The authorities deployed unprecedented resources for the Paris region: four Canadair water-bombing aircraft, two Dash aircraft and three helicopter water-bombers. The chief of rescue operations, Jean-Marc Sicard, specified that 187 water drops had been carried out.
Approximately 600 firefighters remained on site during Monday night, working in shifts to combat the flames on the ground. Weather conditions were described as "unfavourable" by Mr Sicard, despite a "brief lull" observed in early evening.
Source: LRT