world
Wildfires Near Fontainebleau Burn Over 800 Hectares, Evacuate 15 Homes
Fires that began Sunday outside Fontainebleau spread across more than 800 hectares by Monday morning. Authorities deployed 400 firefighters, waterbombing planes and helicopters while evacuating homes and closing roads.
Jul 13, 5:46 AM·1m read5 sources
+1
Climate crisisIsolated inciden
winnipegfreepress.comAudio version
Tap play to generate a narrated version.
Developing·Limited corroboration so far. This page will refresh as more sources emerge.
Wildfires that broke out near a motorway outside Fontainebleau on Sunday had burned more than 800 hectares by Monday morning. The blazes forced the evacuation of 15 homes in the village of Vaudoue and prompted the partial closure of the A6 motorway. Train lines in the area were also disrupted.
About 400 firefighters were deployed across several towns to contain the fires. Authorities sent two waterbombing planes from southern France along with two helicopters and one observation aircraft. Eric Brocardi of France’s national federation of firemen said this was the first time fire-bombing planes had been sent from the south to fight fires in the Paris region.
The Paris region is experiencing a heatwave that has increased fire risk. Officials have shut down three nuclear power stations because of the high temperatures. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said forest fires have consumed 17,000 hectares this year, twice the amount recorded in the same period last year.
Fontainebleau lies about 60 km southeast of Paris. Officials described the fires as very virulent and of exceptional scale.
