19-year-old firefighter admits to causing Fontainebleau fire
A 19-year-old volunteer firefighter has admitted to triggering the largest forest fire in the Paris metropolitan area for at least thirty years. More than 2,050 hectares of the forest massif were destroyed.
19-year-old firefighter admits to causing Fontainebleau fire
A 19-year-old volunteer firefighter has admitted to investigators that he himself triggered the fire that devastated the Fontainebleau forest massif. The young man, born in 2007, stated that he poured petrol over a pile of branches before setting it alight. The prosecution has confirmed his confession. This fire represents the largest in the Paris region for at least three decades.
With no criminal record, the accused has been suspended from his position within the volunteer firefighter service. Frédéric Valletoux, member of parliament for the constituency, described the act as appalling. The deputy recalled that this forest is home to more than 1,500 animal species and said he was unable to understand how anyone could deliberately devastate such an ecosystem.
The forest domain surrounding Fontainebleau castle constitutes the green lung of the Île-de-France metropolis. Its area exceeds 25,000 hectares. The flames destroyed more than 2,050 hectares of this natural heritage. The A6 motorway, a major route southwards, remains closed for 20 kilometres. The tragedy also disrupted rail traffic between Paris and Lyon, Geneva and Marseille, with numerous trains forced to take alternative routes.
Six individuals in total have been apprehended on suspicion of arson. A second young man of the same age has also confessed to carelessly losing a still-glowing cigarette, which allegedly caused another fire to break out in the same area. Magistrate Diane Ngomsik clarified that no connection links the two 19-year-old arsonists. Two minors aged 14 and 15 are among those held in police custody. On Wednesday, a further arrest was made: a suspect allegedly set fire to paper using a lighter on a car park normally closed to the public.
Heat waves and aridity allowed the flames to spread rapidly. By Wednesday, authorities considered the fire "under control", although it had not been completely extinguished. 850 rescue workers and four water-bombing aircraft continued their operations. Nearly 800 residents were evacuated and are staying in emergency shelter facilities.
Access to the forest is strictly prohibited until at least 19 August. Anyone breaching this is liable to severe financial penalties, the prefecture warned. On Wednesday, teams were working to prevent any fresh outbreak, by watering hot spots buried in the soil and tree stumps.
Source: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) — https://www.faz.net/aktuell/gesellschaft/feuerwehrmann-gesteht-brandstiftung-im-wald-von-fontainebleau-accg-201031852.html
Source: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung