Wildfires in France. Photo: Shutterstock French police have arrested a man suspected of stealing dozens of bottles of wine from a private home while residents were being evacuated due to ongoing wildfires in southwestern France.
According to the French National Police, officers detained the suspect on July 25 in the town of Eysines, near Bordeaux, as major wildfires continued to impact parts of the Gironde department.
Authorities said the individual is suspected of stealing 44 bottles of wine from a private property that had been left unattended during evacuation orders.
"On July 25, in Eysines, while the commune is largely evacuated due to the wildfires ravaging the department, a police patrol apprehended an individual suspected of having stolen 44 bottles of wine from a private property," the French National Police said in a statement posted on social media.
The suspect was taken into police custody, and an investigation remains ongoing.
French authorities emphasized that police forces remain deployed across affected communities not only to support firefighting efforts and evacuations, but also to protect homes and businesses left empty during the emergency.
"The national police also remain mobilized to ensure the security of evacuated homes," the statement added.
The arrest comes as France continues to battle a series of wildfires fueled by hot temperatures, dry conditions, and strong winds. Thousands of residents have been forced to leave their homes in recent days as firefighters work to contain blazes across several regions.
Officials have repeatedly warned that opportunistic crimes can occur during natural disasters, when properties are temporarily abandoned and emergency services are stretched.
According to the latest update from the Prefecture of Nouvelle-Aquitaine and Gironde issued today, July 27, 20206 at 14:00 local time, "a violent flare-up of fire" was recorded last night, which required "significant ground resources" to be mobilized in an attempt to stop and contain the spread of the fire. "Overnight, the fire did not advance. The situation remains nevertheless unfavorable," the announcement added.