Investigators had been on his trail for several months. On Monday, a man suspected of being at the origin of about thirty fires in the Saumur region was arrested, announced the prosecutor of the Republic of Saumur Alexandra Verron. He is a 42-year-old volunteer firefighter who has been indicted and remanded in custody, the newspaper reports West France.
The man, who himself sometimes took part in the extinction operations, would have admitted to being the author of these fires, which mostly occurred in the forest of Brain-sur-Allonnes. “A traumatic personal event” would have pushed the suspect, whose psychiatric expertise was requested, to take action.
About 50 hectares of vegetation went up in smoke, specifies The West Mail. Forty owners have lodged a complaint.