Wildfire in Fontainebleau Forest Near Paris Forces Evacuations and Disrupts Transport

A wildfire in the historic Fontainebleau forest, located about 70 km (42 miles) south of Paris, forced the evacuation of several residential neighborhoods on Monday and caused temporary disruptions to train and highway traffic. The blaze is part of a series of fires across western Europe during the region's third red-alert heat wave this summer.

French President Emmanuel Macron said all necessary resources were being mobilised to combat the fire, which he described as being of "exceptional scale." Two water-dropping planes and hundreds of firefighters were dispatched, according to regional fire service spokesperson Paul Laurain. Pierre Ory, head of the regional administration, said an investigation was under way and that arson was being considered as a possible cause. He added that a new fire had ignited in another part of the forest while the original blaze continued to spread at a moderate rate, noting that shifting winds were complicating firefighting efforts.

Train services to and from Gare de Lyon were disrupted late Sunday but resumed normal operations by Monday morning. A section of the A6 highway southeast of Paris was closed because of fire risk. The incident follows large fires in southern France that have already burned thousands of hectares, affecting the Tour de France race and stretching firefighting resources.

The fire occurs as France experiences peak temperatures exceeding 40 °C (104 °F) in western and central regions and around 37 °C (98 °F) in Paris. Similar heat-related wildfire activity has been reported in Spain, the United Kingdom and other parts of Europe.