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[INTERNATIONAL] · France · 7 sources

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Pas-de-Calais wildfires linked to migrant crossings and police intervention

A series of fires recently destroyed 190 hectares of dune area in the Pas-de-Calais coastal region of France. Authorities have identified two distinct origins for the blazes.

According to Patrick Leleu, the deputy prosecutor of Boulogne-sur-Mer, one fire was an intentional act by migrants following a failed attempt to depart by boat. A second fire may be linked to the use of a tear gas grenade by gendarmes during an intervention. Investigations into the second cause are ongoing.

Angèle Vettorello, coordinator for the association Utopia 56, noted that witnesses reported a tear gas grenade being fired while a boat was being moved toward the sea, suggesting fuel trails may have ignited the vegetation. While the fires were brought under control on Monday, no arrests have been made at this time.

Entities

Angèle Vettorello · Boulogne-sur-Mer · Pas-de-Calais · Patrick Leleu · Utopia 56

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