Two suspects remanded in custody for Fontainebleau fires
An 18-year-old volunteer firefighter and a student of the same age have been charged and remanded in custody for two fires that destroyed nearly 2,000 hectares of forest in Fontainebleau.
Two suspects remanded in custody for Fontainebleau fires
An 18-year-old man serving as a volunteer with the fire and rescue service, along with a student of the same age, have been brought before the courts and remanded in custody in the matter of the forest fires in Fontainebleau. The investigating magistrate in Melun confirmed this information, specifying that the incidents occurred on 10 and 11 July.
The teenager wearing a firefighter's uniform admitted to having caused one of the two incidents, according to statements made by the prosecutor at a press conference. His cell mate, who is studying in the region, is also suspected of having started a separate fire. The investigating judge ordered both to be held in custody.
Investigators found no connection between the two fires, nor any shared motive. Each of the two young men appears to have acted alone. The blaze caused considerable damage to the wooded massif, a protected and listed site, mobilising several hundred firefighters over several days.
The head of state, Emmanuel Macron, made a visit to the site on the morning of Thursday 16 July to assess the scale of the destruction. The flames notably posed a threat to motorway A6, where certain road fixtures suffered damage due to the extreme temperature.
The case raises questions about what motivates individuals to start fires, in a context where the area was already experiencing a drought conducive to fires. The young firefighter, who had taken part in tributes to a colleague who died in Savoie and was decorated with the Legion of Honour, now finds himself accused.
Source: franceinfo
Source: France Info