275 PEOPLE DETAINED IN CONNECTION WITH WILDFIRES

PARIS, JULY 30 /SRNA/ - French police have detained 275 people in connection with wildfires in the south of the country, and 70 per cent of cases involve arson, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said.

"Since the beginning of this period, 275 people have been taken into custody, which has led to around 30 arrests," Nuñez said at a press conference. He noted that the total number of fires in France since the beginning of 2026 has reached 14,131, and that the situation remains difficult due to an unprecedented heatwave. Nuñez warned that the fire front in the southwestern Gironde department has spread across a 240-kilometre-long area and is still not under control. "The fire has been contained, but it is not under control. There are still many areas where fires are breaking out, both inside and outside the perimeter," Nuñez said. As many as 3,300 firefighters, 1,500 soldiers, more than 1,200 police officers and gendarmes, and 24 aircraft are involved in fighting the blaze. It is estimated that 42,000 hectares of land have burned in Gironde. Europe is experiencing one of the hottest periods in recent years, with Spain, Portugal, France, Italy and Greece among the worst affected countries, RIA Novosti reports.