Six held in connection with Fontainebleau forest fires

Authorities have detained six individuals in connection with a series of fires that have ravaged over 2,000 hectares of the Forest of Fontainebleau in France. The investigation into the origins of the blazes has advanced significantly following the apprehension of two young men on Monday evening. These individuals confessed to being responsible for two distinct fire outbreaks on July 13. This occurred even as a separate fire had already ignited the previous day in the Seine-et-Marne forest. The prosecutor of Fontainebleau, Diane Ngomsik, announced that the two men had been seen near the fire sites, leading to their identification. One of the confessing individuals is an 18-year-old volunteer firefighter with no prior criminal record. He admitted to igniting dry brush with a lighter and gasoline in the Arbonne-la-Forêt area. The second man, also 18 and previously unknown to justice, confessed to accidentally starting a fire by discarding a cigarette in the Faisanderie sector. The prosecutor emphasized that no link has been established between these two individuals, and their detention has been extended. Two additional men, aged 51 and 20, have also been arrested. The older man has no criminal history, while the younger one has a record for traffic offenses. The younger man was apprehended by police, unlike the other suspects, and is suspected of involvement in the fire in the Faisanderie sector. Investigators are still working to determine whether these two individuals intentionally participated in starting the fires. Further investigations, including site examinations and evidence collection, are underway in Arbonne and other affected areas. Given the multiple fire outbreaks, the prosecutor's office is considering all hypotheses, both accidental and deliberate. The initial fire, which started the day before, is also under scrutiny, with a potential link to nearby construction work on the A6 highway being thoroughly investigated. Due to the ongoing nature of the fire and the unsecured area, evidence collection has been limited to the A6 highway itself. Witnesses have been interviewed as part of this aspect of the investigation, and two individuals were taken into custody Tuesday morning.

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These individuals are suspected of having caused accidental or voluntary fires.