420 Arrested for Forest Fires in France, 166 are Minors

In France, the largest damage caused by forest fires since the end of World War II has led to the arrest of 420 individuals, of whom 166 are minors. The arrested are suspected of intentionally or accidentally starting the fires. According to French authorities, about 90% of forest fires in the country occur due to human factors.

At the same time, experts note that deliberate arsons account for only a small portion of such cases; the majority of fires are caused by negligence, construction activities, faulty electrical equipment, discarded cigarettes, or campfires left unattended.

The scale of the current fires is increasing due to prolonged drought and high temperatures resulting from climate change. Since the beginning of summer, wildfires have ravaged and destroyed over 300 thousand acres of land in France.

Authorities have intensified the pursuit of suspects linked to the outbreaks of fires. In one serious case, a 23-year-old man has been charged with deliberately igniting 10 fire outbreaks in the southeast of the country over five days. If found guilty, he faces up to 15 years in prison and fines of up to 150,000 euros.

However, the authorities' harsh response has also faced criticism. Human rights activists and lawyers argue that in some cases, the penalties may be excessively severe. In particular, individuals have been sentenced to prison for allegedly throwing away remnants of unextinguished cigarettes.

French experts emphasize that under the current drought conditions, even a tiny spark can be sufficient to ignite a fire and enable it to spread rapidly. They note that the combination of high temperatures, low humidity, and wind significantly increases the risk of even accidental fires.

French President Emmanuel Macron stated that the country needs to restore affected areas and adapt forests to the new climate conditions. According to him, an analysis of government actions and lessons learned from the current fire season should take place later.