French authorities are tightening controls over nature reserves following record wildfires that destroyed more than 100,000 hectares of forest this summer. LRT reports, writes UNN.
Details
In the south of the country, gendarmes are patrolling forest areas and searching for illegal camps where holidaymakers may light fires. According to police, around 90% of forest fires in France this year were caused by human activity.
This year, the fires started particularly early and were more intense than in the past, so we are being more vigilant
Police note that the damage caused by the fires is the most extensive in France since World War II. This year, the gendarmerie unit in the Var department has already registered 310 offenses related to environmental damage and the risk of fires.
Hundreds of people detained over arson
According to France's Ministry of the Interior, 420 people suspected of deliberately or accidentally causing fires have been detained. Among them are 166 minors.
In one case, a 23-year-old man was charged with deliberately starting 10 fires over five days in the Var department. If convicted, he faces up to 15 years in prison.
Ukrainian rescuers in France stopped a forest fire that threatened a populated area10.08.26, 16:26
Authorities are increasingly using drones to monitor forests and the coastline. They help identify people who light fires or grill in prohibited areas.
At the same time, government critics believe that the focus on arrests may distract from problems with forest management and fire prevention. Experts note that deliberate arson accounts for only a small proportion of cases. Other causes of fires include cigarette butts, embers from campfires and barbecues, faulty power lines, and negligence at construction sites.
More than 400 people detained in France for setting forest fires10.08.26, 03:18