On Sunday afternoon (July 12), a serious wildfire broke out at the famous historical site of Fontainebleau Forest in France, exacerbated by hot and dry conditions, causing the rapid spread of the flames. As a result, the important A6 highway connecting Paris with Lyon and the southern region was forced to close. Authorities mobilized aerial firefighting forces for the first time and urgently evacuated nearly 800 residents.
This fire occurred during the third heatwave wave in France this year, with the high temperatures and extremely dry vegetation providing ample fuel for the flames. Officials mentioned that firefighting planes were deployed for the first time in the Greater Paris area, conducting aerial water-spraying operations using water from the Seine River.
Pierre Ory, the Prefect of Seine-et-Marne, stated that approximately 5% of the forest area has been affected by the fire. He added that a total of 800 firefighters and a significant amount of aerial firefighting forces have been deployed to combat the blaze. Currently, four Canadian Bombardier planes and two Dash aircraft are actively patrolling and extinguishing the fire from the air.
Despite the fire being mostly under control by Monday afternoon (July 13), gusty winds continue to pose challenges for the firefighting efforts.
French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez indicated that the cause of the fire is “suspicious.” He mentioned on the scene on Monday, “About ten ignition points were found within a 1000-meter radius, leading to suspicions that the fire may have been deliberately set.”
Fontainebleau Forest, located approximately 70 kilometers southeast of Paris, is renowned for its historic royal palace and is a significant cultural heritage site in France. The wildfire not only threatens the natural landscape but also temporarily disrupted nearby high-speed train services.
According to reports from France24, authorities estimate that around 1000 hectares of land in Fontainebleau Forest have been scorched so far.
Nuñez noted that since the beginning of this year, around 32,000 hectares of land in France have been engulfed by wildfires, surpassing the total for the entire 2025 fire season, and it is only July.
Meanwhile, last week’s severe wildfires in the southern province of Almería, Spain, have resulted in 13 fatalities. A 93-year-old British woman succumbed to her burns on Sunday, with 10 others still missing.
Scientists warn that the consecutive heatwaves this summer have created a severe public health crisis. Official data shows that the record-breaking heatwave that swept through Western Europe at the end of June led to approximately 10,650 excess deaths.
Data released by the European Mortality Monitoring Network, EuroMOMO, reveals that among the excess deaths, over 9,000 cases were individuals aged 65 and above.
The World Health Organization has also recently cautioned that Europe may face further deadly risks posed by heatwaves.
Extreme weather conditions have damaged local crops, affected nuclear power plant electricity production, and as France experienced peak temperatures on Sunday, leading to the shutdown of three nuclear reactors. Over one-third of the national population resides in regions under the highest red-level heat alert, with the scorching weather set to persist early this week.
The heatwave has also increased freight costs along the Rhine River in Germany as low water levels prevent cargo ships from fully loading. In Italy, farmers have had to allocate more resources to ensure livestock management and maintain dairy production amidst the heatwaves.