Huge Forest Fire Near Paris: Latest Updates from Fontainebleau
ARBONNE-LA-FORET, France — A massive forest fire erupted Sunday in the Fontainebleau forest, about 60 kilometers southeast of Paris, forcing evacuations and disrupting traffic during one of the busiest summer travel weekends.
The fire, described by officials as “very virulent” and of “exceptional scale,” had raced across 800 hectares by early Monday and was still spreading. Two firefighting planes, helicopters, and around 400 firefighters were deployed to contain the flames in the once-royal hunting preserve, now a popular woodland dotted with villages.
Fifteen homes were evacuated in the nearby village of Vaudoue, with residents describing ash falling around them. The A6 highway, the country’s main north-south artery, was partially closed, and high-speed rail services from Paris’s Gare de Lyon faced delays of up to six hours.
The blaze erupted just ahead of the July 14 national holiday and during France’s third heatwave since May, which has broken temperature records across Europe and increased fire risks. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said forest fires have already consumed 17,000 hectares this year twice the area burned during the same period in 2025.
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