Fire ravages popular forest outside Paris

Hundreds of French firefighters aided by water bombers on Tuesday battled to control wildfires that have ravaged a hugely popular forest outside Paris as another scorching heatwave keeps the capital in its grip.

The sprawling Fontainebleau forest, around 60 kilometres (40 miles) southeast of the capital, is a former royal hunting ground that now draws hikers, nature lovers and climbers who come from around the world to tackle its famous boulders.

The fires, which erupted Sunday, have scorched around 2,050 hectares (5,000 acres) -- an area roughly three times the size of Gibraltar, firefighters said on Tuesday.

With around 850 firefighters battling the flames with the help of specialised Canadair aircraft, authorities are hoping to control the fires during the day -- France's national day.

The fire "is no longer spreading" and "is contained", but "must now be stabilised", Interior Minister Laurent Nunez told BFMTV.

"The weather has improved slightly over the last few hours," said Pierre Ory, the prefect of the Seine-et-Marne area, describing a "decisive day" following "a difficult night for firefighters".

While Monday was marked by wind gusts, the wind has "largely died down", he added.

France is sweltering in the third major heatwave in less than two months, with Paris expected to see temperatures of 35C Tuesday and a slight respite only expected later in the week.

- Risky environment -

Firefighters are battling two main fires, including one in the la Faisanderie area, usually thronged with visitors in summer, not far from the town of Fontainebleau.

A fire that broke out on Sunday has burned through approximately 1,600 hectares, while the second, which started on Monday afternoon, "covered a significant area overnight" and now spans 450 hectares, according to Ory.

In a landscape of outstanding natural beauty, the fire has left behind scenes of desolation, with charred trees and soot-covered ground. Small fires reignite as the wind fans the flames back to life.

France on Tuesday celebrated Bastille Day, which is usually accompanied by evening fireworks.

With the new heatwave, various towns across the country have cancelled their firework displays, but many are usually set off illegally.

This year's celebrations coincide with a World Cup semi-final in which France take on Spain in the evening local time, which will likely see fans spilling onto the streets.

The fires have forced around 1,000 people in and around Fontainebleau to flee their homes.

"The first night was very stressful and with the fire bearing down on our homes, we were afraid they would burn," said Nicolas Tournier, a resident of the village of Le Vaudoue, who is waiting to be able to return home.

- Two held -

Authorities are probing whether the fires were started deliberately and two people have been arrested on suspicion of arson. One of the suspects is an 18-year-old man with no prior police record.

The forest sees 15 million visitors each year, making it vulnerable to fires -- quite apart from its sandy soil and vegetation consisting of ferns and highly flammable conifers.

The scale of the fire led to the deployment of four Canadair water-bombing aircraft for the first time in the greater Paris region -- as well as two Dash planes and three helicopters.

A total of 187 water drops were carried out on Monday, said the commander of the rescue operations, Jean-Marc Sicard.

According to Nunez, 32,000 hectares across France have been hit by fires since the beginning of the year -- more than during the entire 2025 fire season.

As well as the warmer south, fires have also hit cooler regions such as Brittany in the west, where a fire that swept across 38 hectares of heathland on Cap Frehel has now been brought under control.

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© Agence France-Presse