Police detained a suspect in connection with an attempted arson attack in a forest near the commune of Fontainebleau south of Paris. This was reported by TF1.

The arrest took place on the evening of July 14. A French man born in 1979 drove into a closed parking lot next to the forest, where he was noticed by police officers. During the search, bundles of paper and a lighter were found in his car. He was detained on suspicion of “attempting to cause damage by means of arson.”

Earlier, BFMTV, citing local authorities, reported that two individuals previously detained in the forest area of the commune of Fontainebleau on suspicion of arson had admitted their guilt. One of the detainees turned out to be a volunteer firefighter. He told investigators that he had set dry branches on fire in the forest using a lighter and gasoline. The second suspect said that he had unintentionally caused the fire by throwing an unextinguished cigarette into the grass.

A major wildfire near the commune of Fontainebleau, located about 70 km south of Paris, began on July 12. Within a few days, its area exceeded 2,000 hectares, which is almost 10% of the total territory of the forest massif near this commune. Strong winds and hot weather contributed to the spread of the fire. The blaze has been contained, and firefighters are battling flare-ups in the forest area.