France inferno: Water bombers deployed as raging wildfire threatens historic Fontainebleau forest near Paris | Today’s news
French authorities stepped up efforts to contain a large forest fire burning in the historic forest of Fontainebleau, about 70 kilometers south of Paris has deployed two Canadair water-bombing planes and more than 400 firefighters as western Europe endures another intense heat wave, Reuters reported.
The fire broke out on Sunday near the highway that runs along the forest of Fontainebleau, home to one of France’s most famous royal palaces, which once served as a hunting lodge and seasonal residence for French monarchs. The flames, fanned by strong hot winds, had spread to more than 800 hectares (1,980 acres) by midnight.
Firefighters worked through the night to prevent the flames from spreading further, with authorities confirming that emergency operations continued on Monday. The French fire service said on the X social media platform that crews were still trying to bring the fire under control.
The forest fire significantly disrupted traffic in the region. Authorities closed the A6 motorway, the main route linking Paris to Lyon and southern France, as flames approached the motorway. Several smaller fires in the area also affected high-speed rail services, causing delays and disruption to passengers.
Residents of the affected areas were warned that a Canadair aircraft would be pumping water from the River Seine, which flows through central Paris, to support firefighting operations.
A heat wave in Europe is fueling the growing threat of forest fires
According to Reuters, the Fontainebleau fire is the latest in a series of wildfires to sweep across southern and western Europe as prolonged extreme heat and dry conditions increase the risk of fast-moving fires.
In recent weeks, large fires have ravaged parts of France, Spain, Portugal and Greece, destroying thousands of hectares of land. Spain was particularly hard hit, with the death toll from a forest fire in the southeastern province of Almeria rising to 13 after a 93-year-old British woman died of burns at the weekend.
Western Europe is currently experiencing its third extended summer heatwave, with soaring temperatures straining infrastructure and public services across the region.
Earlier this summer, an intense heat wave in late June is believed to have contributed to more than 10,000 deaths across Europe. Countries also reported widespread disruption, including power cuts, school closures and record temperatures in France, Spain and the UK.
Lasse Vestergaard, chief medical officer at Denmark’s Statens Serum Institute, which hosts the European-wide mortality monitoring network EuroMOMO, told Reuters that the unusually high number of excess deaths recorded during the recent heat wave was difficult to explain by anything other than extreme temperatures.
Authorities continue to closely monitor weather conditions as firefighters work to contain the Fontainebleau fire and prevent further damage to one of France’s most historically significant forests.
