AVON, France — A major fire broke out Monday in the historic Fontainebleau forest, located about 70 kilometers (42 miles) south of Paris, leading to the evacuation of residential areas and significant disruptions to train and highway services. The blaze occurred amid widespread wildfires across western Europe, driven by a third consecutive red-alert heat wave this summer.
The proximity of the fire to Europe’s cultural heartland, home to the Napoleon- favored Château de Fontainebleau and frequented by visitors, heightened its significance. Authorities deployed two water-dropping aircraft and mobilized hundreds of firefighters to contain the inferno, according to regional fire service spokesperson Paul Laurain.
Transportation networks were heavily impacted. Train services to and from Paris’s Gare de Lyon were suspended late Sunday but resumed partially Monday morning. A critical segment of the A6 highway southeast of Paris was also closed due to fire risks.
Widespread wildfires in southern France over the past week have already consumed thousands of hectares, complicating firefighting efforts and disrupting the Tour de France cycling race. Meanwhile, France endures peak temperatures exceeding 40°C (104°F) in western and central regions, with Paris recording around 37°C (98°F).
Similar extreme conditions are affecting Spain, where recent fires killed at least 12 people as residents attempted to flee the flames by car and on foot. Europe continues to experience the fastest temperature rise globally, with warming rates twice the global average since the 1980s, according to EU Copernicus data.
