VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTER INVESTIGATED OVER FONTAINEBLEAU FOREST BLAZE

A volunteer firefighter has been placed under formal investigation in France on suspicion of starting a forest fire south of Paris, according to official statements. The 18-year-old initially confessed to setting fire to twigs using a lighter and petrol before retracting the confession, prosecutor Diane Ngomsik told AFP news agency. A second 18-year-old man has also been placed under formal investigation in connection with the Fontainebleau fire. At least six people have been questioned regarding the blaze.

The fire has burned more than 2,000 hectares and forced approximately 1,000 people to evacuate from the area. Although the fire has been contained, it remains unextinguished. President Emmanuel Macron visited the area on Thursday and stated that approximately 10% of the forest had burned, with no deaths recorded to date. The blaze partially closed France's main north-south motorway since it began last Sunday. The Fontainebleau forest contains the Palace and Park of Fontainebleau, designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1981.

Macron said there had not been so many fires in France since World War Two and pledged there would be no leniency for arsonists. France has recorded nearly 11,000 fires since the beginning of the year, according to official figures. The incidents occur as much of Europe experiences unusual heatwaves, with the Copernicus climate service reporting that Europe is warming twice as fast as the global average. Major wildfires have occurred across the continent, including in Spain where at least 13 people have died, and in Scotland where firefighters continue to contain a large-scale wildfire in the Cairngorms National Park.