Var fire investigation unit traces origins of summer forest blaze

A specialised investigation team in the French department of Var is working to determine the cause of a massive forest fire that burned about 4,500 hectares of wood and scrub over eight days. The fire threatened several medieval villages in the Gros Bessillon massif and prompted the deployment of the RCCI (Research Cell for Causes and Circumstances of Fires) for the first time in the region.

Captain Stéphane Carret of the RCCI said that roughly 90 % of such fires are human‑origin, whether accidental or deliberate. The team, which includes criminal investigation technicians, firefighters and forest officials, follows a systematic method: they map smoke traces, set coloured stakes, and narrow down the ignition point using witness testimony and early‑scene videos. Gendarme adjutant‑chief Marie Ray highlighted the importance of collaboration between fire crews and the National Forest Office to collect and analyse evidence.

The Var cell was created after the deadly 2003 wildfires that killed seven people and destroyed nearly 20,000 hectares. Its model has since been adopted across southern France and beyond, aiming to improve response and prevention of future blazes.