"A French volunteer firefighter was sentenced to jail on Wednesday after being found guilty of starting seven fires in woodland areas near his home. The 25-year-old was accused of starting seven blazes in the forests of the Indre-et-Loire département between March 31st and July 12th, with the last fire ravaging six hectares of woodland. The court in Tours sentenced the farm worker to 24 months in prison with a 12-month probationary period."
"While conceding that the man was behind several fires, his lawyer, Arthur Gauthier, insisted that his client's involvement was "unintentional", either through badly stubbed-out cigarette butts or inept use of his farm equipment. Ahead of the verdict, the court ordered the firefighter to undergo a psychological examination, while the Indre-et-Loire fire and rescue brigade suspended the volunteer and brought the case against him."
"Wildfires are becoming more of a problem in France, especially the south, as rising temperatures and droughts mean that fires can spread extremely quickly over parched countryside and develop into wildfires. This year saw France's largest recorded wildfire since 1949, when 17,000 acres burned in the Aude département, near Carcassonne."
A 25-year-old volunteer firefighter and farm worker was found guilty of starting seven woodland fires in Indre-et-Loire between March 31 and July 12, with the final blaze destroying six hectares. The court in Tours sentenced him to 24 months in prison with a 12-month probationary period. His lawyer maintained the incidents were unintentional, citing badly stubbed-out cigarettes or misuse of farm equipment. The court ordered a psychological examination and the local fire and rescue brigade suspended the volunteer and pursued charges. Rising temperatures and drought have increased wildfire risks, including a 17,000-acre fire in Aude near Carcassonne.
Read at The Local France
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