Fontainebleau Wildfire Grows to About 1,900 Hectares as Evacuations Continue

Overview

• The blaze began near the A6 and has spread rapidly since Sunday, consuming roughly 1,900 hectares and remaining uncontained with active hotspots.
• About 800–850 firefighters from across France are engaged, supported by four Canadair water-bombers, helicopters and Dash aircraft in a deployment that is unusual for the Paris region.
• Authorities have evacuated around 1,000 people and closed sections of the A6 while rail services suffered major delays as crews protect homes and critical infrastructure.
• Investigators opened an arson probe after officials reported a dozen ignition points within a 1,000‑metre area; police have carried out 59 arrests nationwide and detained at least two suspects linked to Fontainebleau.
• Fire chiefs say very low humidity, high temperatures, strong winds and the forest’s sandy, rocky ground are driving fast fire spread and that full suppression and hotspot control could take days to weeks, straining national resources already depleted by an intense early fire season.