The blaze in the Fontainebleau forest south of Paris has intensified and has been under control efforts for a full 48 hours. Firefighters are tackling a wildfire that has consumed roughly 800 hectares, severely threatening the main north‑south highway and cutting off an important high‑speed rail line that runs south of Paris.
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez has urged that authorities view the fire as a possible deliberate act, noting that the blaze featured about ten ignition points within a 1,000 metre perimeter, a signature that tends to hint at arson. He added that two people had already been arrested in the region for "deliberate or accidental arson".
President Emmanuel Macron has called the fire an "exceptional magnitude" and promised mobilisation of all resources. He has expressed solidarity with residents and praised firefighters for their hard work.
The event comes at a time of Europe's third heatwave this year, with record temperatures found across the continent. The heat has forced several nuclear power stations to shut down temporarily and prompted organisers of the Tour de France to shorten a stage by 30 kilometres, citing extreme conditions.
Train journeys at Paris’s Gare de Lyon have suffered significant delays of up to six hours, according to SNCF, as tracks close due to fire danger. The wildfire has joined other large fires across Europe, including a deadly blaze in Spain that killed 13 people, and a major incident declared in north Wales.
