A 15-year-old boy was charged on Thursday 13 August in connection with the investigation into the fatal fire that occurred on 21 July near Bordeaux-Mérignac Airport in Gironde. The tragedy claimed the lives of two professional firefighters, Wilfried Schmitter and Anthony Berthôme, both aged 34.
The two brothers arrested as part of this investigation have seen their legal situations develop differently. The elder brother, aged 22, was taken into police custody before being cleared of suspicion and released, according to reports by BFMTV. The younger brother, who is a minor, was brought before a court and placed in a secure educational centre.
A vehicle engulfed in flames
On 21 July, the two firefighters were responding to a fire in Mérignac when they lost their lives. Marc Vermeulen, director of the Gironde Departmental Fire and Rescue Service (SDIS), explained that the firefighters were inside an emergency vehicle when it was engulfed by flames. An investigation had been launched by the Bordeaux Public Prosecutor’s Office to determine the exact circumstances of the fire and identify its cause.
National tribute to the two firefighters
Following this tragedy, the President of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron, offered his condolences to the families and colleagues of the two victims, assuring them of “the nation’s gratitude and support”. Last week, Wilfried Schmitter and Anthony Berthôme were posthumously awarded the National Order of Merit, a distinction honouring those who have performed acts of exceptional self-sacrifice at the risk of their own lives.