Fontainebleau, France. Firefighters battled overnight to contain a wildfire in the historic forest of Fontainebleau near Paris, where at least two people were arrested on suspicion of starting the blaze.
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said late Monday that the main fire in Fontainebleau and another nearby blaze had burned 1,300 hectares.
Emergency response
Nunez said the fire was not under control and was only a few kilometres from the Palace of Fontainebleau, prompting the deployment of water-carrying planes and helicopters.
Canadair aircraft skimmed the River Seine on Monday to refill their tanks, as smoke from the blaze darkened the sky.
Transport and evacuations
The fire, about 70 kilometres from Paris, led to the closure of the A6 motorway linking the capital with Lyon and southern France. Smaller fires in the area also disrupted high-speed rail services.
As many as 900 people were evacuated from their homes.
Wider fire risk
Nunez said 32,000 hectares had burned in France this year, exceeding the total recorded in 2025, and warned that the country could face a record year for fires amid a major drought.
He said 59 people had been arrested across France on suspicion of starting fires, including adults and minors, with some identified as repeat offenders.
Europe is experiencing its third heatwave of the summer, with dry vegetation and high temperatures contributing to fires from the Iberian Peninsula to France. Many scientists say climate change is making wildfires more frequent and harder to fight.
