Six arrests following criminal fires in Fontainebleau forest
An 18-year-old volunteer firefighter and five other individuals have been held in custody following fires that destroyed more than 1,900 hectares of historic woodland near Paris.
Six arrests following criminal fires in Fontainebleau forest
An investigation into the fires that struck the Fontainebleau forest massif has resulted in the arrest of six individuals. Among them, two 18-year-old men admitted to deliberately starting separate fires on 13 July, according to statements from the local prosecutor cited by Digi24.
The first suspect is a volunteer firefighter with no previous criminal record. He told investigators that he had set fire to branches using a lighter and fuel. The second young man, also with no criminal history, explained that a carelessly extinguished cigarette was the cause of the blaze. The magistrate clarified that no connection had been established between these two suspects. Their period of custody has been extended.
The six people arrested — men aged 18, 20 and 51 — are now in preventive detention.
The flames consumed more than 1,900 hectares of historic woodland located in immediate proximity to the French capital. Emergency services fought the fires throughout Monday night into Tuesday. The State services were counting on containing the disaster on Tuesday, weather permitting. Laurent Nunez, the Interior Minister, clarified that the fire was located several kilometres from Fontainebleau castle, justifying the deployment of significant aerial resources.
Canadair-type aircraft made low-level passes over the Seine to refuel with water — a first. Smoke covered the sky. The A6 motorway, which connects Paris to Lyon, was closed to traffic. Additional fires also disrupted the high-speed rail network. Approximately 900 residents had to leave their homes.
According to Nunez, this disaster comes in a year that is shaping up to be the deadliest for vegetation fires in France, with 32,000 hectares already destroyed since January — a toll higher than the previous year.
Source: Digi24