A man has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for intentionally setting 32 fires in the Charente department in southwestern France. The criminal court in Charente handed down the sentence on September 18, alongside a 10-year socio-judicial follow-up period that includes mandatory care, work obligations, compensation for victims, and a future ban on living in Charente or working in the forestry sector. The accused, a 32-year-old father of two, set the fires between July 2022 and October 2023 in the southern part of the department. The prosecutor had requested the 12-year sentence, describing the man as a "live bomb" and arguing he deserved a "severe criminal response" for the damage caused. The fires required the mobilization of approximately 2,000 firefighters, with total damages estimated at around two million euros. Among the incidents were a fire in a forest area covering nearly 150 hectares and the burning of an agricultural building housing 1,000 tons of straw. The accused also set fires during the summer of 2022, a time when neighboring Gironde department was already dealing with a severe fire crisis. The defendant’s lawyer said he does not plan to appeal the sentence, though he criticized it as "inappropriate," comparing it to the punishment for rape, and arguing the harm caused to victims is not comparable. During the trial, the accused spoke about personal struggles, including a troubled childhood marked by family violence, financial difficulties, the loss of a child, and alcohol addiction. He described his actions as being driven by a "malaise," or a state of emotional distress. The court also heard that the defendant admitted to possibly seeking attention through his actions, stating he "may have sought a bit too much for people to talk about me." This admission highlighted a broader theme of the need for recognition and social validation in the case. The man had prior criminal records, including convictions for burglary, which the court likely considered when determining the sentence. The case has drawn attention to the broader issue of arson and its impact on both natural and human environments, as well as the complex psychological and social factors that can contribute to such extreme behavior. The legal and social consequences of the case are expected to be significant, both for the accused and the affected communities.