In brief
Police were called to the Bois de Boulogne in the 16th arrondissement around 23:00 on Friday, 17 July 2026, after a fire was reported.
Officers found a brush fire spreading to a tree trunk and extinguished it with extinguishers; one square metre of vegetation burned and one tree trunk was blackened.
A 23-year-old man, born in 2002, was arrested at the scene and admitted to police that he intended to set fire to the entire Bois de Boulogne.
The suspect was placed in custody for 'dégradation volontaire par incendie' (voluntary damage by fire), and his detention was extended on Saturday evening as investigations continue.
- 17 JulPolice extinguish the flames using fire extinguishers.
- 17 JulA 23-year-old man is arrested at the scene and admits intent to burn the entire forest.
- 18 JulParis prosecutor confirms custody has been extended; investigation continues.
Incident in the Bois de Boulogne
Police were alerted to a fire in the Bois de Boulogne, in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, shortly before 23:00 on Friday, 17 July 2026. Officers arrived to find a pile of brush ablaze, with flames spreading to the trunk of a nearby tree. Using fire extinguishers, they managed to contain and then extinguish the fire before it could grow. In total, one square metre of vegetation was burned and a single tree trunk was blackened by the flames.
Arrest and confession
During their intervention, police spotted a young man at the scene and took him into custody. According to a police source cited by multiple French media outlets, the 23-year-old, born in 2002, admitted to officers that he had intended to set fire to the entire Bois de Boulogne. He was placed under formal detention for "dégradation volontaire par incendie" (voluntary damage by fire).
Investigation and custody extension
The investigation was initially assigned to the Service de traitement judiciaire de nuit (STJN) of the 8th arrondissement, and later transferred to the commissariat of the 16th arrondissement. The central laboratory of the Paris police prefecture also visited the site to carry out forensic examinations. On Saturday evening, the Paris prosecutor's office confirmed that the suspect's custody had been extended and that inquiries were continuing.
Recent forest fires in the Île-de-France region
The incident comes days after major wildfires in the Fontainebleau forest, in the Seine-et-Marne department, which burned approximately 2,200 hectares on Sunday and Monday. Two 18-year-old men, one of them a volunteer firefighter, were charged and imprisoned on Wednesday for deliberately starting fires at two locations, Arbonne-la-Forêt and Fontainebleau. On Thursday evening, two workers were also charged with involuntary destruction by fire for their role in a blaze that began near the A6 motorway and later spread into the forest. The Paris prosecutor's office has not indicated any link between the Fontainebleau fires and the Bois de Boulogne incident.