Fontainebleau: 18-year-old firefighter admits to starting forest fires
A young volunteer firefighter has confessed to causing fire outbreaks in the Fontainebleau forest. Four individuals are currently in detention.
Fontainebleau: 18-year-old firefighter admits to starting forest fires
Investigators have made a major breakthrough in the case of fires destroying the Fontainebleau forest massif. On Tuesday evening, four individuals were placed in provisional detention, suspected of triggering several fires in the wooded area.
The most surprising case concerns an 18-year-old volunteer firefighter assigned to the local fire station. Law enforcement apprehended him on Tuesday in possession of a lighter and with traces of soot on his palms. Having never been registered on the criminal record, he ultimately admitted to pouring petrol on branches to set them alight. This confession caused shock in the community. One resident expressed his disappointment: "It is distressing to see a rescuer commit such acts." Another person added: "The one who was supposed to protect the population did exactly the opposite."
A second suspect, a 20-year-old man, stated that he had caused a fire by crushing his cigarette on the ground, claiming it was a careless gesture. He continued to be questioned by police on Tuesday evening.
Citizens played a key role in the investigation. Franck Chardon, an agricultural operator, noticed on Monday evening a motorcycle rider on the edge of the forest, when access had been closed at 6 p.m. to motorised vehicles, with the exception of emergency and agricultural vehicles. "His presence was unusual and suspicious," he reported. Police immediately proceeded to question him.
The magistrate Diane Ngomsik, head of the Fontainebleau prosecution office, emphasised that all leads remained open, whether accidental or intentional acts. The fires affected various areas: Arbonne-la-Forêt, central Fontainebleau, and La Faisanderie.
Source: franceinfo
Source: France Info