Family man from Rennes sets field fires and is sentenced to 30 months in prison

A few beers and the view of clouds of smoke were enough to tempt a family man from Rennes in northern France to light up. "I saw the smoke and had the impulse to take action," the 47-year-old explained in court this week. At the end of July, he drove his scooter into the surrounding fields and set fire to dry grass in the fields in four places with a lighter. He did not consider the life-threatening consequences his actions could have - even though new fires were being reported on the news every day at the time. And even though he started the fire right next to a holiday camp where 300 children were staying. The court sentenced the man to 30 months in prison. He was very sorry, he said in court.