French authorities have arrested 420 individuals, including 166 minors, in connection with wildfires that ravaged the country last month. The interior ministry announced the arrests of people alleged to have started fires either deliberately or accidentally.
The fires caused more damage in France this year than at any time since World War Two, scorching over 300,000 acres this summer. While climate change is cited as a major driver, records indicate that humans start nine out of 10 French wildfires.
Among those arrested, a 23-year-old man faces charges of deliberately starting 10 fires in five days in the south-eastern Var area. He could face 15 years in prison and a €150,000 (£128,000) fine if convicted. Other individuals have received immediate sentences, including a man given a three-year jail term for starting three fires in the Raon-L'Étape forest.
However, some prosecutions have been viewed as heavy-handed, with a lawyer, Muriel Gestas, expressing surprise at the number of arrests and doubting many will lead to convictions. Bordeaux prosecutor Renaud Gaudeul stated that a tough approach is justified by current circumstances, noting that conditions for a charge of endangering lives are met for those who throw a cigarette butt or light a barbecue in wooded areas.
Experts believe arson accounts for a small fraction of fires, with most thought to be accidental, stemming from sources like construction work, faulty electrical equipment, cigarette butts, and barbecues.