Overview
- President Emmanuel Macron visited the Fontainebleau area on Thursday and vowed a “zero tolerance” policy on arson while thanking the crews fighting the blazes.
- Authorities say about 35,000 hectares have burned so far in 2026, a total that already exceeds last year and includes more than 2,000 hectares in the Fontainebleau forest.
- Interior Minister Laurent Nunez reported roughly 59 arrests nationwide linked to wildfire ignitions and Fontainebleau prosecutors have charged two construction workers over an accidental ignition.
- Two 18-year-old suspects have been remanded in custody in separate investigations, one a volunteer firefighter who admitted starting a fire and another student who said a cigarette caused a blaze.
- Roughly 950 firefighters and 120 military personnel remain deployed to secure hot edges, evacuations and A6 motorway closures continue, and officials warn that heatwaves and drought raise the risk of rekindling while recovery funds are being mobilized.