Farm worker Emmanuel G., 45, was sentenced to three years in prison by a court in Niort on Tuesday, August 11, for intentionally starting 11 fires with a blowtorch across two French departments. The court ordered him to serve two years in prison with one year suspended, along with a four-year socio-judicial follow-up that requires mandatory medical care.
The fires occurred between July 25 and August 7 in the departments of Deux-Sèvres and Maine-et-Loire. Prosecutor Dorothée Dietz said emergency crews controlled and put out the blazes quickly, but stressed that every fire was started deliberately. The tribunal accepted all of her sentencing requests.
Police arrested Emmanuel G. in his vehicle on Friday after finding a blowtorch in the trunk of his van. He was placed in pre-trial detention on Sunday. The farm worker was on medical leave at the time of his arrest and had no prior criminal record.
Court Testimony and Psychiatric Evaluation
During his immediate court appearance, Emmanuel G. confessed to starting the fires but said he had no explanation for his actions other than feeling fed up with things. He later told the court president that he had visions and heard voices telling him to set fires.
Prosecutor Dietz described Emmanuel G. as a worrying personality and an arsonist suffering from depression rather than a pyromaniac. She cited a psychiatric evaluation that confirmed his judgment was not impaired when he committed the acts.
Defense Objections and Firefighter Response
Defense lawyer Olivier Martinez told TF1 news that his client did not understand why he set the fires and argued that the court did not adequately consider his mental state. Martinez said the psychiatric expert acknowledged the depression, which could explain the crimes, and called the sentence too harsh.
Colonel Sébastien Roux, director of the Service Départemental d'Incendie et de Secours of Deux-Sèvres, said it was difficult for firefighters to handle arson cases knowing that human actions threatened the lives of both citizens and responding emergency crews.
National Wildfire Statistics
According to the Interior Ministry, French authorities have arrested 458 people, including 175 minors, in connection with fire outbreaks since the start of the season. Fires have burned at least 120,000 hectares across the country, including 42,000 hectares in a single megafire in Gironde.
