Firefighter admits starting major fire south of Paris

Hundreds of firefighters have successfully contained two significant fires that ravaged over 2,000 hectares of land south of Paris. While the blazes are now under control, firefighters will continue working for days, possibly weeks, to fully extinguish them, according to local authorities cited by AFP.

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set fire to twigs with a lighter and gasoline

An investigation into the cause of the fires has led to the detention of four individuals. Among them, a volunteer firefighter confessed to "setting fire to twigs with a lighter and gasoline." Another man admitted to "accidentally starting a fire by throwing away his cigarette." These confessions were confirmed by prosecutor Diane Ngomsik in Fontainebleau. The volunteer firefighter's brigade has suspended him and expressed "deepest consternation."

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have started a fire by accident by throwing his cigarette

The fires, which broke out in the Forêt de Fontainebleau, an area once a royal hunting ground dotted with small villages, generated smoke detectable up to 100 kilometers away near Orléans. The scale of the destruction is immense, with an area three times the size of Gibraltar reportedly burned. The situation unfolded as France prepared for Bastille Day celebrations, a national holiday marked by a heatwave and heightened fire risk, prompting several cities to cancel planned fireworks displays.

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deepest consternation