Massive wildfire near Paris forces evacuations and travel disruptions

Fire crews battled a fast-moving blaze in the Fontainebleau forest south of Paris after flames broke out near Noisy-sur-Ecole and spread across about 800 hectares by early Monday. The fire forced evacuations in nearby areas, disrupted traffic on the A6 motorway and delayed trains at Paris Gare de Lyon, putting pressure on emergency services during a busy summer travel weekend.

The fire started on the roadside at about 16:40 local time on Sunday in Seine-et-Marne, then pushed into the historic woodland about 60 kilometres southeast of the capital. French officials described the blaze as “very virulent” and of “exceptional scale,” while crews worked to slow its advance as it remained active into Monday. The forest location made the fire especially disruptive, with holiday traffic already heavy and rail links toward southeastern France under strain.

Authorities dispatched two firefighting planes to the Paris region, along with helicopters and an observation aircraft, to support ground teams. Eric Brocardi, of France’s national federation of firemen, said it was the first time firefighting planes from the usually hotter and drier south of France had been sent to tackle a fire in the Paris region. By Monday, the fire had scorched about 1,900 acres and was still spreading.

The blaze struck as the Paris region and much of France faced the third heat wave since May, worsening conditions for firefighters and increasing the risk of new outbreaks. The combination of high temperatures, dry vegetation and peak holiday travel turned the incident into a wider test for emergency services, with the partial closure of the A6 and delays of up to six hours for trains at or leaving Paris Gare de Lyon adding to the disruption.