PARIS — Firefighters worked through the night battling a fast-moving wildfire that swept through the storied Fontainebleau forest near Paris on Tuesday, as authorities took two people into custody suspected of igniting the blaze near one of France’s most celebrated royal landmarks.
French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez confirmed late Monday that the situation remained dangerous. “It is not under control,” he said, noting that the main Fontainebleau fire and a second nearby blaze — both of which broke out Monday afternoon — had together consumed 1,300 hectares, or roughly 3,212 acres.
Nunez warned that the fire had advanced to within just a few kilometers of the Palace of Fontainebleau, prompting officials to deploy an extensive response that included water-dropping aircraft and helicopters.
In an unprecedented move, Canadair aircraft drew water directly from the River Seine on Monday for the first time, as the fire sent a thick column of black smoke rising into the sky above the region.
Located about 70 kilometers — approximately 40 miles — from Paris, the fire forced authorities to shut down the A6 highway, a major route connecting the French capital to Lyon and southern France. Additional smaller fires in the surrounding area also disrupted high-speed rail service. Close to 900 residents were ordered to evacuate their homes.
Nunez said the Fontainebleau fire is adding to what is shaping up to be an unprecedented wildfire season for France. So far this year, 32,000 hectares have burned across the country — already surpassing the total recorded for all of 2025. “We’ll probably have a record year,” Nunez said. “We expected this with this major drought.”
The fires are unfolding as Europe endures its third heatwave of the summer, with parched vegetation and soaring temperatures driving blazes across the continent from the Iberian Peninsula to France. Scientists widely attribute the increasing frequency and intensity of wildfires to climate change.
Nunez also revealed that 59 people have been arrested across France on suspicion of deliberately starting fires. He said the suspects were roughly split between adults and minors, with some individuals identified as repeat offenders.
