France hunts down forest fire arsonists... 420 arrested, including 166 minors
As wildfires continue to consume vast areas of French territory, the scope of investigations into those responsible is widening. Authorities have detained approximately 420 people suspected of deliberately setting fires or causing them through negligence, including 166 minors, amid ongoing efforts to identify arson cases and prosecute those responsible.
These arrests come as firefighting teams battle blazes that have erupted across various regions of France, burning around 120,000 hectares since the beginning of the summer. Data indicates that 90 percent of the fires are of human origin, though this does not mean they were all caused by deliberate acts.
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According to police, men account for 97.5 percent of the suspects. The French newspaper *Le Figaro* reported that psychological disturbances and social factors lie behind some individuals’ decision to set fires.
Among the cases cited by the newspaper is a 23-year-old unemployed man in the Var department, suspected of causing around ten fires that affected vegetated areas.
Alongside firefighting operations, French authorities are working to identify fires caused by deliberate human action and to prosecute those responsible. Specialized teams comprising firefighters, gendarmes, and forestry workers are tasked with investigating the causes and circumstances of the blazes under the supervision of local authorities.
*Le Figaro* quoted Major Antoine Lopez, head of the criminal identification unit of the Gendarmerie in Gironde, stating that the primary task of firefighters upon the outbreak of a fire is to identify the area or point where the flames originated. This is done to extinguish the fire as quickly as possible while preserving evidence that could aid the investigation.
To this end, firefighters must avoid touching or moving ash before the specialized team investigating the causes and circumstances of the fire arrives.
In addition to the extensive environmental damage, the wildfires impose significant financial burdens on the French state. There are growing calls to hold those responsible, and their families if the perpetrators are minors, financially accountable for the resulting consequences.
