According to local news outlet the Républicain Lorrain, a resident of Audin-le-Tiche was caught while lighting a fire in a woodland. The man was already known to police and is believed to have started at least one of three fires that broke out at roughly the same time in the countryside on Wednesday evening. He was ultimately sent home with a fine of €275.
The frequent fires have been cause for concern among local residents.
When contacted, Rédange mayor Mathias Miranda expressed shock at the criminal behaviour, noting that "there have already been several other outbreaks of fire this summer in Rédange and around the ponds. People do not realise how dangerous" certain types of behaviour can be. The mayor said that the individual caught in the act "was apparently intoxicated; in fact, he did not leave the scene when the gendarmes arrived."
As for the penalty he received, €275, "it corresponds to what is stipulated in the prefectural order banning the lighting of fires."
"But that also seems too little to me, given the scale of the current fire risk" in the region, said the mayor, who is considering filing a complaint. "In Rédange, everything is extremely dry and there are quite a few plots of land that are not maintained... A single cigarette butt would be enough to trigger a disaster", he acknowledged.
In Rédange, lighting fires and having barbecues on public roads and at the ponds is prohibited.
In general, fire fighters in France have raised the alarm given the ongoing situation with wildfires. For years they have demanded investment in recruitment and equipment, albeit without success. The recent fires in the Gironde region highlighted the deficit in staff and materials, union representatives told the press on Thursday.
In the Gironde, everything was lacking, most of all foresight. The fire brigade's emergency centres were unable to guarantee a normal service due to being overwhelmed and a lack of equipment. The unions have called for mass protests in Paris at the end of September.
