After Fire in Amelie-les-Bains: Curfew Ordered for Minors

Amelie-les-Bains-Palalda – 04.08.2026: Following a fire in a municipal hall, the southern French spa town of Amelie-les-Bains-Palalda has imposed a curfew for minors under the age of 15. According to a Franceinfo report, two children aged ten and 13 allegedly started the fire during the night of July 27 to 28. Mayor Marie Costa issued the restriction on July 30.

The incident affects a municipality in the Pyrenees-Orientales department whose public spaces are used by associations as well as for meetings and events. The information available so far does not indicate how the fire started, how severely the building was damaged, or what consequences the fire will have for the hall’s future use. Police and prosecutors have also reportedly not released any further information on the status of possible investigations.

Strict rules apply to protect the privacy of children of this age. Their names and personal circumstances are therefore not publicly disclosed. Nor can the report be used to determine which criminal-law or child-welfare measures may have been initiated. Responsibility for addressing the case lies with several bodies: in addition to investigative authorities, families, schools and youth welfare services may also be involved, depending on the circumstances.

No verified information is available on the exact times, duration or possible exemptions of the curfew ordered on July 30. Such municipal measures are intended to avert danger and must be sufficiently specific in terms of time, location and the group of people affected. However, they replace neither the investigation into the fire nor an individual assessment of responsibility.

The mayor’s decision also has a legal history. As early as February 2026, the town had imposed a nighttime restriction on unaccompanied minors under the age of 15. An emergency judge suspended that earlier order in early April, according to the French Human Rights League. It said there was no concrete evidence of disturbances to public order that could have justified such a far-reaching intervention.

Whether the new order should be assessed differently under the law depends on its reasoning and specific design. The fire provides a current reason for municipal action; however, this does not automatically mean that a blanket restriction for all younger minors is proportionate. What has been publicly confirmed so far is the fire during the night leading into July 28, the ages of the two children, and the imposition of the curfew on July 30.