Fontainebleau: volunteer firefighter admits to starting one of the fires
A volunteer firefighter is among four people in custody in Fontainebleau and has confessed to setting a fire, as 59 people have been arrested in total since the fires began.
Fontainebleau: volunteer firefighter admits to starting one of the fires
In connection with the multiple fires that ravaged the Fontainebleau forest, a volunteer firefighter is among four individuals currently being held by law enforcement. The man has admitted his involvement in starting the fire, according to Laurent Nuñez, Minister of the Interior.
In total, 59 people have been apprehended since the start of this wave of fires. Among them, four remain in custody in the municipality of Fontainebleau, in Seine-et-Marne. The volunteer firefighter who has confessed presented himself as a resident of the area.
The blazes that destroyed part of the forest have now been brought under control, although they have not been completely extinguished. Rescue teams are maintaining surveillance on the ground for several more days to prevent any resurgence of the flames. The firefighters' spokesman assured that there was no risk of the fires rekindling.
This case is raising strong reactions, described as "betrayal" and "profound distress" by some observers, following the arrest of a member of the rescue services himself accused of starting a fire at this emblematic natural site. Local farmers also contributed to identifying suspects, with one of them spotting one of the accused at the scene of the fire.
France Télévisions reported these details.
Source: France Info