FONTAINEBLEAU FOREST FIRE DESTROYS NEARLY 1,000 HECTARES SOUTH OF PARIS

A fire in the Fontainebleau forest, located approximately 60 kilometres south-east of Paris, has burnt nearly 1,000 hectares of woodland over two days. Firefighters have been attempting to bring the blaze under control, with officials describing it as "virulent" and of "exceptional scale". Interior Minister Laurent Nunez indicated the fire may have been deliberately set. The blaze has destroyed nearly five per cent of the 25,000-hectare forest, according to authorities.

Evacuations have been ordered in the area, with horses removed from an equestrian centre near the forest as the fire approached. Train and highway traffic in the region has been disrupted by the incident. The Paris region is experiencing its third heatwave of the summer, during a period in which temperature records have been broken across several European countries. Officials have not yet confirmed the cause of the fire.

The Fontainebleau forest is a historically significant and frequently visited destination south of Paris. The scale of the fire has prompted a sustained response from emergency services over multiple days. Authorities have not announced confirmed next steps or timelines for bringing the fire under full control.