Mérignac fire: 15-year-old indicted in fatal blaze

A 15-year-old boy has been indicted for involuntary destruction by fire following a July 21 blaze near the Bordeaux-Mérignac Airport in Mérignac, France. The fire destroyed 26 hectares of vegetation and resulted in the deaths of two firefighters who were trapped by the flames.

According to Bordeaux Prosecutor Renaud Gaudeul, the teenager admitted to smoking a cigarette and throwing it, stating he believed he might have caused the fire, though without certainty. The minor has been placed in a closed educational center.

Investigations conducted by the Division of Organized and Specialized Crime (DCOS) utilized surveillance footage to identify two brothers at the scene. While the 15-year-old faces charges for causing death through a failure to meet legal safety or prudence obligations, his 22-year-old brother has been cleared of involvement.