Man taken into custody over fire that killed 3 in Grasse on Sunday

Update 16:00 August 16: The man who was taken into custody has admitted to starting the fire saying it happened 'by accident' when he threw a lit cigarette in the hallway. Nearby security cameras had caught him leaving the building two minutes before the fire was seen on the cameras.

A psychological exam ruled that he was legally responsible for his action. He had no prior convictions and works on the serving staff in a café next to the building. The severely burnt victim sent to the Toulon hospital is still in a critical condition.

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A man has been taken into custody following a property fire that killed three people in Grasse in the south of France on Sunday (August 13).

Nice's judicial police has taken charge of the investigation, reports M6 and several other French media.
No other information on the man's identity or the reason for his arrest have been disclosed.

The identities of the three people confirmed dead and 7 injured in the fire which broke out in the early hours have not yet been released.

People were seen screaming for help from their balconies at the five-storey building, made up of several flats, in the centre of the historic town. One person tried to escape through his window and tragically fell to his death.

The blaze broke out at around 3:00 and took three hours to contain with nearly 60 firefighters attending the scene on the ‘Place aux Aires’.

The popular tourist area has been cordoned off so investigators can progress.

Three people seriously injured

Two women died in the flames in the staircase and a man was found dead in front of the building by firefighters, police report.

Of the seven injured, two of the seriously injured were sent to the Pasteur II hospital in Nice. A third, severely burnt, was taken to the Toulon hospital via helicopter and said to be in a critical state. The other four were sent to the local hospital in Grasse with lesser injuries.

Most of the damage inside the flats was caused by smoke with the fire remaining in the main staircase, report firefighters.

Nearby buildings are intact and deemed safe for residents to stay in. Five rooms were reserved in a nearby hotel for at least 11 of the building’s 20 or so occupants.

No structural defects

Grasse’s mayor Jérôme Viaud has said that the building had no structural defects, a comment supported by firefighter chief Jean-Christophe Demarte, who said “there is no reason to believe there was a problem with the building.”

However, several residents of Grasse were quick to point out to France Bleu that many buildings in the historic centre were in dire need of repair. A local describes staircases propped up by makeshift struts and dilapidated electrics.

This building was scheduled to be renovated in October 2023.

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