23-year-old remanded in custody after suspected arson attacks in Var

Brignoles – 28 July 2026: Following several suspected deliberately set vegetation fires in the Var department, a 23-year-old man has been charged and remanded in custody. As the Gendarmerie announced on Tuesday, he is alleged to have caused fires in or near Brignoles, Cabasse and Vins-sur-Caramy between 19 and 24 July. He is accused of starting at least three separate fires.

According to investigators, the fires destroyed several hectares of scrubland and forest. They reportedly traced the suspect in part through footage from video surveillance systems. After his arrest on Saturday, the man was initially taken into police custody and then brought before an investigating judge, who ordered his remand in custody.

The suspect is under investigation for the destruction of forest, scrubland or plantations by fire. Based on the information available, the justice system considers the environmental damage to be irreparable. However, the opening of an investigation does not constitute a finding of guilt. The 23-year-old is also due to undergo a psychiatric assessment as the case proceeds.

Investigators are also examining whether the man was involved in part of the major fire in the Gros Bessillon massif. A source familiar with the investigation expressed such a suspicion. He is explicitly not being blamed for the entire fire based on the current state of the investigation. The cause of the blaze, which has threatened several communities in central Var since 21 July, remains under investigation.

On Tuesday, the fire in Gros Bessillon was still active. According to the prefecture, around 1,000 firefighters and 270 vehicles were deployed. They secured the edges of the fire zone and tackled flare-ups, particularly near Correns and Barjols. Bulldozers created additional access routes so emergency crews could reach difficult-to-access hotspots.

The prefecture had previously put the affected area at several thousand hectares. In several localities, residents had to leave their homes as a precaution. Wind and dried-out vegetation repeatedly hampered firefighting efforts; at times, water-bombing aircraft and helicopters supported crews on the ground.

At the same time, the Draguignan public prosecutor’s office is investigating further fires that have recently broken out in the department. Authorities are treating the individual fires as separate cases and examining their respective causes. So far, the detained 23-year-old has been linked to the specifically identified fire sites and possibly to a limited part of the Gros Bessillon fire.