The French Gendarmerie reported the detention of a 32-year-old suspect believed to be involved in a series of fires in the municipalities of Brignoles, Cabas, and Vins-sur-Caramy, which occurred from July 19 to 24. According to law enforcement, these fires resulted in the destruction of hundreds of hectares of vegetation and forests.
The suspect was detained on Saturday, July 25. On the same day, the prosecutor’s office charged the 32-year-old man with arson of forests, vegetation, and crops, which caused irreversible damage to the natural environment. The arrested man is also set to be examined by forensic experts.
Fighting fires and evacuations
France is battling numerous fires, primarily in the southern part of the country. French authorities noted that the scale of these fires is unprecedented. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu reported that since July 6, there have been 162 arrests related to arson.
BFM TV reported that on Tuesday morning, July 28, evacuations continued for people in areas threatened by the fires. In total, more than 250,000 people have been evacuated across the country due to the fires, with about 220,000 in Gironde.
As previously reported by Gazeta.pl, prosecutor Bordeaux Renaud Godel stated that the fire in Gironde likely started accidentally due to the use of a brush cutter by workers clearing the area near power lines. According to preliminary data, the current regulations were not violated during the work.
Death of a firefighter
During the fight against forest and field fires in the southeast of the country on Monday, July 27, a 38-year-old firefighter died. His death was reported by BFM TV, citing the management of the fire and rescue service in the department of Bouches-du-Rhône. The deceased served in the fire and rescue center of Saint-Étienne-du-Grès.
Source: Gazeta.pl
