The authorities say human activity causes nine out of ten wildfires in the country
French police have detained 420 people for allegedly starting fires deliberately or through serious negligence during a devastating wildfire season that has burned nearly 120,000 hectares across the country, according to the Interior Ministry.
France has experienced successive heatwaves this summer as exceptionally high temperatures have affected much of Europe. President Emmanuel Macron has described the wildfire crisis as potentially the country’s worst since World War II.
Prolonged heat and drought have dried vegetation, allowing small ignition sources to develop into fast-moving fires. More than 224,000 people were evacuated at the height of the crisis.
Officials...
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