A 23-year-old man was charged and remanded in custody on Tuesday in the Var region, on suspicion of having started around ten deliberate fires between 19 and 24 July. The incidents took place in the towns of Brignoles, Cabasse and Vins-sur-Caramy, resulting in the destruction of several hectares of scrubland and forest.
Arrest made thanks to CCTV footage
According to TF1, the suspect, who is unemployed and has no previous criminal record for this type of offence, had moved to the region a month earlier. He was arrested at his home on Saturday following a tip-off and the analysis of CCTV footage. Placed in police custody, he was charged with “the destruction by fire of woodland, forests, heathland, scrubland or plantations belonging to others, causing irreversible damage to the environment”.
According to Colonel Grégory Goumain, commander of the Var gendarmerie, “whilst the theory of arson has been ruled out for the main fire” which has been ravaging the Gros Bessillon massif since 21 July, the man is “suspected of being responsible for a flare-up to the south” of the blaze. Fire-fighting operations, which are still ongoing, are being coordinated from Pontevès.
Psychiatric assessment ordered
The suspect, who has been in custody since being charged, will undergo a psychiatric assessment. On Sunday evening, the Prefect of the Var had condemned several new instances of arson near the ongoing fire, describing these acts as “unacceptable”. The Draguignan public prosecutor’s office has launched several investigations to determine the causes of other recent fires in the department, including the one in Pontevès.
Firefighters and emergency services in the Var remain on standby to contain the active fires, whilst the authorities are urging the public to remain vigilant. To follow the progress of the fires in real time, consult our map of active fires and stay informed of the risks via the weather watch. If you spot a fire starting, report it immediately.