Darmanin, for example, mentioned a large forest fire southwest of Bordeaux, in the Gironde department, where there was also a very large forest fire in July. He thinks that the blaze of that fire a little further away is the work of criminals, he told French media. The fire started in several places over a certain period of time.
Eight thousand people have already been evacuated from their homes as a precaution in that fire. Darmanin called for more volunteer firefighters to be sent from across the country and said Italy and Sweden would send additional firefighting planes on Thursday to help extinguish the fire.
The minister called on employers to give volunteer firefighters the freedom to help fight the fires.
There are many wildfires in the country in dry summers and often there are subsequent arrests of people suspected of starting them. Among the suspects arrested this season is a man who, as a member of the volunteer fire department, started trying to start wildfires as early as May because he likes to put out fires. Other frequently mentioned causes are carelessness with fire, car accidents in which a burning vehicle hits a roadside and sparks from trains.