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| Two fires that broke out in Fontainebleau |
Hundreds of French firefighters managed on Tuesday to contain two fires that had consumed more than 2,000 hectares of the historic Fontainebleau forest near Paris over the past two days.
The local governor warned that the two fires were not yet extinguished and that firefighters would have to remain on site for days, if not weeks.
The public prosecutor's office also reported that four people, including a volunteer firefighter, remain in custody on suspicion of deliberately starting the two fires.
The scale of the two fires that broke out in Fontainebleau, as France was hit by a new heatwave, led to the deployment of four Canadair water-bombing aircraft, an unprecedented move in the greater Paris region, along with two Dash aircraft and three helicopters.
The smell of smoke from the two fires reached a distance of about 100 kilometers near the city of Orléans, according to AFP correspondents.
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said that around 300 water drops had been carried out in 48 hours.
He wrote on X, "Air reinforcements played a crucial role in containing the two fires."
After the Fontainebleau forest, located about sixty kilometers southeast of Paris, was once a royal hunting destination, it now attracts about 15 million visitors annually, including hikers, nature lovers, and climbers from all over the world, who come to climb its famous huge rocks.
Six people were arrested on suspicion of arson, in an incident that forced about a thousand local residents to leave their homes and caused the closure of a highway linking Paris to the southeast of the country.
The prosecutor in Fontainebleau, Diane Ngomsec, reported that the volunteer firefighter admitted to "setting fire to tree branches using a lighter and gasoline," while another man admitted to "causing a fire by mistake after throwing away his cigarette butt."
The fires that broke out on Sunday have consumed about 2,050 hectares, according to an announcement by the fire brigades on Tuesday. They are being fought by about 850 firefighters with the help of Canadair aircraft dedicated to this purpose.
In an area known for its picturesque nature, the fire left behind scenes of devastation, with trees charred and the ground covered in ash, while the wind ignited small fires that rekindled the flames.
France is experiencing its third major heatwave in less than two months, with temperatures expected to reach 35 degrees Celsius in Paris on Tuesday before conditions improve later this week. France also celebrated its national holiday (Bastille Day) on Tuesday, an event usually accompanied by fireworks displays in the evening. However, due to the heatwave, many towns across France canceled their annual fireworks displays, though a significant number still took place, often illegally.
Fires have broken out on 32,000 hectares of land across France since the beginning of the year, an area exceeding that recorded during the entire 2025 fire season.
Areas with more moderate weather, such as Brittany in the west, also experienced fires, with one fire burning across 38 hectares in Cap Frehel before authorities were able to bring it under control.
