Wildfire in Fontainebleau Forest Burns Over 800 Hectares, Prompts Highway and Train Disruptions

A wildfire erupted late on July 12 in the Fontainebleau forest about 60 km southeast of Paris and burned more than 800 hectares by early the next day while continuing to spread. The blaze forced the partial closure of the A6 highway and caused delays of up to six hours on high-speed trains arriving at or departing from Paris's Gare de Lyon on Sunday evening.

Around 15 homes were evacuated in the village of Vaudoue, and firefighters defended several other towns in the area.

Approximately 400 firefighters, two firefighting planes, two helicopters and one observation aircraft were deployed to contain the flames. Aircraft operations were suspended at nightfall. Eric Brocardi of France's national federation of firemen said it was the first time fire bomber planes had been sent from the south of France to the Paris region.

"The aim is to save lives and property," he said as the fire advanced. Olivier Compta, who oversaw the operation, said that without the planes other villages would already have been evacuated. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez announced he would visit Fontainebleau on July 13.

He stated that forest fires had already consumed 17,000 hectares in France in 2026 and that the final total would reach 25,000 hectares, twice the amount recorded in the same period of 2025. France is experiencing its third heatwave since May. The June heatwaves would have been virtually impossible without climate change, according to the World Weather Attribution group.

Earlier on July 12 firefighters contained a separate fire that blocked a highway east of Paris and disrupted a high-speed train line to the south of France.