German police have identified four shisha-smoking Iraqi migrants as suspects in a forest fire in Saxony that took place last month and devastated the Saxon Switzerland National Park.
The four Iraqi men, aged between 24 and 25, have been identified by the German Criminal Police (Kripo) in connection to the wildfire which broke out in mid-July.
The men allegedly brought hookah pipes with them while going hiking in the national park and were later photographed smoking shisha by reporter Thomas Fischer, of the German tabloid Bild.
Police Chief Lutz Rodig commented on the case and personally thanked Fischer for the photograph, saying: “Bild reporter Thomas Fischer gave the decisive clue. We thank him for that.”
“After numerous witness references to a shisha smoking quartet on the day of the fire, the suspects could be determined,” the Dresden public prosecutor’s office stated.
Police spokesman Uwe Hofmann stated this week that fire investigators gathered evidence from the scene that seems to support the notion that the fire was caused by the Iraqis and their pipes, and said the men, who all live in Dresden, have had their homes searched, with police seizing electronic devices.
The fire is said to have caused around 50,000 euros in damages and saw nearly 27,000 square feet of the park engulfed in flames, damaging or destroying two-hundred-year-old trees. After two days, a total of 115 firefighters were able to bring the blaze under control.
Should the four Iraqis face trial and be convicted of arson in the case, they could face up to ten years in prison, according to Section 306 of the German criminal code.
Climate change is often cited as the reason for forest fires and some have predicted that the future will see even more major wildfires due to global warming, but many recent wildfires have been linked to deliberate or negligent arson.
In Greece, nine people were arrested last month in connection with starting wildfires that have swept across the country, either by accident or on purpose.
France, which continues to see wildfires rage, recently saw a firefighter admit to sparking fires in the commune of Saint-Jean-de-la-Blaquière in July and in Saint-Privat in May. The 37-year-old later admitted to police he had started the fires for the “adrenaline” rush.
This week, French president Emmanuel Macron announced that Germany, Greece, Poland, Romania, and Austria will be providing help to combat eight major fires taking place across France.
Follow Chris Tomlinson on Twitter at @TomlinsonCJ or email at ctomlinson(at)breitbart.com.
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