Firefighters battle Fontainebleau forest fire near Paris as two arrested
Authorities say the blaze has scorched more than 1,900 hectares and forced about 1,000 residents to flee as arson probes continue.
- On July 12, a fire erupted in the Fontainebleau Forest southeast of Paris, scorching nearly 1,900 hectares and forcing approximately 1,000 residents to evacuate as around 850 firefighters mobilized to contain the blaze.
- Interior Minister Laurent Nunez reported investigators identified 10 ignition points within a 1,000-metre perimeter, suggesting the fires were deliberately set; police arrested two individuals in connection with the blaze.
- Four Canadair aircraft skimmed the River Seine to refill tanks, an unprecedented move in the greater Paris region, while rescue commander Jean-Marc Sicard reported 187 water drops completed by Monday evening.
- No injuries or deaths have been reported despite the large-scale evacuation, though resident Clement Boher said his family remains "on standby, vehicles ready and a backpack packed" as emergency crews continue protecting communities and historic landmarks.
- Persistent drought and heatwaves have fueled a historic wildfire season across France, with Interior Minister Nunez noting 32,000 hectares burned already this year—more than the 2025 total—as climate conditions make such events increasingly difficult to combat.
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152 Articles
LE VAUDOUÈ. The forest fire raging in the Fontainebleau forest south of Paris is not yet extinguished. It has now destroyed over 2,000 hectares of forest – more than two entire Nacka reserves. – Those who started it are criminals. But without climate change, the fire would never have spread so quickly, says Marine Deu, who was evacuated with her family.
A major fire ravaged the forest of Fontainebleau, which immediately caused Louis Bertignac's wife to react. In the face of the violent criticisms she received since her speech, Laetitia Brichet decided not to allow herself to be made and to respond once and for all to her detractors.
French police have arrested two suspects in connection with the deliberate setting of fires in a historic forest near Fontainebleau, local prosecutor Diane Ngomsik said on Wednesday. One of the suspects has reportedly confessed, while the other insists it was an accident.
The investigation into the fires that ravaged more than 2,000 hectares of forest is undergoing a new development. A 46-year-old man was placed in custody last night, after the discovery of a lighter and
Extreme heat has held Europe in its grip for weeks. Southern France and Spain are being ravaged by severe wildfires. Even near Paris, a massive inferno is now raging; the fire department is receiving reinforcements from teams from the southern Netherlands. “We have never seen anything like this here.”
After 48 hours of fighting, the 800 or so firefighters mobilized managed to fix the two fires that have covered just over 2000 hectares of the forest of Fontainebleau, near Paris, for which four police officers are still in the process – including that of a volunteer firefighter.
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