The forest fire in the town of Ascain, had destroyed 450 hectares of vegetation -

Sécurité Civile

  • The investigation identifies three separate fires in the series of fires that hit the Basque Country on February 20 and 21.

  • That of Biriatou was the continuation of a fire which had broken out on the Spanish side, and which would be of criminal origin.

  • The Ascain fire is also of criminal origin, and destroyed 450 hectares of forest.

Several fires, several origins, at least two of which could be criminal.

The judicial investigation for acts of willful destruction by fire of woods and forests, opened following the forest fires which took place during the weekend of February 20 and 21 in the municipalities of Biriatou, Ascain and Sare ( Pyrénées-Atlantiques) has determined several causes.

"The criminal investigation technicians of the Pau gendarmerie and the fire expert appointed by the prosecution were thus able to materialize three distinct fire zones, with no apparent correlation with each other," said the Bayonne prosecution on Monday, which entrusted the investigation to the research brigade of the Bayonne gendarmerie company.

400 hectares destroyed in Biriatou, 450 in Ascain

The first zone, which destroyed more than 1,400 hectares of the Biriatou forest, including 400 hectares on French territory, "is the consequence of the progression of the fire originating from the municipality of Berra located in Spain" explains the public prosecutor's office. Bayonne.

“As such, an investigation to determine the criminal origin of this fire is underway under the control of the Spanish judicial authorities.

"

The second zone, affecting nearly 450 hectares of forest in the municipality of Ascain, “is for its part of criminal origin and unrelated to pastoral burning.

“Indeed, several fires have been identified along a hiking trail leading to the top of the Rhune.

“Samples are still being analyzed to determine the firing system used.

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A violent wind which favored the progression of the fires

Finally, the third zone located in the commune of Sare, having led to the destruction of approximately 7 hectares, “could have its origin in a pastoral burnout”.

But it is now established, adds the prosecution, “that no prior declaration of burnout had been filed with the firefighters for the weekend of February 20-21.

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In all three cases, “the unfavorable weather conditions, in particular due to a strong wind, favored the rapid progression of the fires.

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Investigations are continuing in order to further specify the source of these fires, and to identify the potential perpetrators.

The acts of willful destruction by fire of wood and forests likely to expose people to bodily injury or to create irreversible damage to the environment, are punished by 15 years of criminal imprisonment and 150,000 euros fine, specifies the prosecution. .

Society

Basque Country: Nearly 800 hectares of vegetation destroyed by fire

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