Firefighters in France are battling a massive wildfire in the Fontainebleau forest, located about 40 miles southeast of Paris. The blaze, which began on Sunday afternoon, has prompted the evacuation of approximately 900 homes and has affected major road and rail links. Officials describe the fire as unprecedented in scale, highlighting the ongoing climate emergency.
Extent of the Fire and Evacuations
The wildfire has spread across an estimated 800 hectares (2,000 acres) of forest. Pierre Ory, the prefect of Seine-et-Marne, stated that as of Monday afternoon, the fire had not been contained and was “continuing to progress moderately.” The mayor of Fontainebleau, Julien Gondard, expressed his shock, saying, “This exceptional area is consumed by flames; we’ve never seen anything like this.”
Approximately half of the 700 residents in the village of Le Vaudoué have been evacuated. Fire officials indicated that the fire’s nature is “very virulent” and could take several days or even weeks to fully contain. Olivier Compta, overseeing firefighting operations, noted that without the support of firefighting planes, additional evacuations would have been necessary.
Government Response and Investigations
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez visited the operations room in Fontainebleau, where he confirmed that no homes had been burned and no injuries reported. He stated, “The aim is to contain the fire.” An investigation is underway to determine the fire's cause, with evidence suggesting it may have started at multiple points, indicating a possible voluntary origin.
