A 30-year-old volunteer firefighter has been charged with attempting to start fifteen fires in Vaucluse between September 2021 and summer 2024, according to information from the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur gendarmerie and the Avignon prosecutor’s office.
The man is accused of starting twelve forest fires and three property fires, mainly in the Luberon region, a very touristy area located in the south of the department. The oldest of the fires dates back to September 2021, but the majority were committed during the summer of 2024.
A craftsman without a history or record
“Placed in police custody on Wednesday, September 11, and in light of the evidence gathered during the investigation, the accused admitted to being the author of several fires,” the gendarmerie said in a press release.
This man, a craftsman from Cadenet, had no criminal record and was not known to the gendarmerie services before these events. He was placed in provisional detention pending the continuation of the investigation and legal proceedings.
The deliberate burning of natural areas, qualified as a crime
This new case highlights the risks of fires in the South-East of France during the summer period. The most dramatic thing is the origin of these fires. According to the French Forest Observatory, 90% of forest fires in metropolitan France are of human origin, of which around 30% are considered to be criminal acts.
In France, causing arson is a serious offence. Setting fire to property is punishable by ten years in prison and a fine of 150,000 euros. However, setting fire to natural areas is classified as a crime, and penalties can be up to 15 years in prison and a fine of 150,000 euros.