The French Interior Ministry reported 420 arrests of people suspected of deliberately or accidentally causing large-scale forest fires, including 166 minors.
The BBC writes about this.
According to the government, nine out of ten forest fires in France are caused by humans. A 23-year-old Frenchman was accused of deliberately setting ten fires over five days in the Var region in July. He faces 15 years in prison and a fine of €150 000.
Many others were also prosecuted and promptly sentenced. Another Frenchman received a three-year prison sentence for recently starting three forest fires in the Vosges region.
However, the country has questioned how thoroughly the police have investigated the cases given such a short period of time. One of the Bordeaux prosecutors Renaud Godol said that in the current circumstances, a tough approach is justified.
Experts believe that arson accounts for only a small proportion of all fires. Most still happen accidentally: sparks can appear during construction work, due to faulty electrical equipment or cigarette butts.
- France has been hit by massive forest fires in recent weeks, forcing the evacuation of some 63 000 people. The largest fire, near Somos, has destroyed more than 12 500 hectares of forest, more than 50 homes and a campsite, and threatens to block the only road from the peninsula.
- According to European agencies, fires have already destroyed more land in Europe this year than the average annual rate over the past two decades. Scientists link the increasing frequency of heat waves, droughts and large-scale fires to climate change.
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