French authorities have arrested 32 people suspected of starting wildfires since the beginning of the summer, according to Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez.
Nuñez said the suspected acts had severe consequences, endangered firefighters' lives and had been referred to the judicial authorities, adding that the government would continue taking firm action against those responsible.
President Emmanuel Macron urged the public to remain vigilant and act responsibly, noting that nine out of 10 wildfires are caused by human activity. He warned that a single moment of negligence could threaten families, endanger emergency responders and devastate natural landscapes.
France has battled a series of wildfires in recent days that have burned around 10,000 hectares, particularly in the south of the country.
Among the latest cases, a man in his 50s was detained on Thursday after witnesses reported seeing him near a wildfire in Perpignan before he fled the scene. Last Sunday, two men aged 21 and 27 were arrested on suspicion of starting fires in the southern Hérault region.
In eastern France's Ain department, two teenagers aged 15 and 16 were charged on 2 July with causing property damage by dangerous means after allegedly starting a fire that destroyed a large part of the Château de Divonne-les-Bains on 28 June.
A third 16-year-old was charged with failing to extinguish the blaze through negligence and has been placed under judicial supervision alongside the other suspects.
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