France charges 31 after detaining 275 over suspected wildfire arson

French authorities have detained 275 people on suspicion of involvement in deliberately starting wildfires as the country battles one of its worst fire seasons, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said.

Speaking on July 30, Nunez said prosecutors had brought charges against 31 of the suspects, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

He added that wildfires have so far scorched 117,000 hectares across France.

The announcement came as firefighters continued to tackle a major blaze in the south-western Gironde department. Officials said the fire, which has been burning for a week, did not advance overnight despite several flare-ups.

Meanwhile, an orange heat alert remains in place across 21 departments, with persistent high temperatures continuing to complicate firefighting operations and increasing the risk of new outbreaks.

By Aghakazim Guliyev