800 Hectares In Flames: Massive Wildfire Near Paris Forces Evacuations And Travel Chaos

A fast moving wildfire of exceptional scale is tearing through the Fontainebleau forest just southeast of Paris, forcing evacuations and travel disruptions as France battles its third heatwave since May. The blaze erupted Sunday afternoon in the sprawling forest, a former royal hunting preserve roughly 60 kilometres from the capital, and had scorched around 800 hectares by early Monday while continuing to spread. Officials described the fire as very virulent, and firefighting aircraft that had suspended operations overnight resumed the battle for a second day on Monday.

For the first time ever, water bomber planes were rushed to the Paris region from the traditionally drier and hotter south of France to help contain the flames, according to the national federation of firemen. Two firefighting helicopters and an observation aircraft are also assisting roughly 400 firefighters on the ground. Around 15 homes have been evacuated in the nearby village of Vaudoue , where residents described watching ash fall and flames on both sides of their homes as they fled with pets in tow. Crews are now defending several other towns in the area.

The fire has already caused major travel chaos. The A6 highway , France's main north south artery, was partially closed, while French rail operator SNCF reported delays of up to six hours on trains arriving at or departing from Gare de Lyon, hitting travellers just as the busy summer holiday season and the July 14 national holiday weekend got underway. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez , who is visiting the site Monday, said authorities are investigating whether the fire may have been intentionally started, and noted that wildfires have already burned through 17,000 hectares of French land this year, nearly double the same period last year.

France is enduring its third heatwave since May, with temperatures expected to stay high through Tuesday's national holiday according to Meteo France. The country recorded more than 2,000 excess deaths during the June heatwave alone, and scientists have linked the increasing frequency of such extreme heat episodes to man-made climate change . A local deputy mayor said he had never witnessed anything like it in three decades, as villagers braced for more losses to the forest and their homes.