A very virulent wildfire of exceptional scale erupted Sunday afternoon in the Fontainebleau forest, approximately 60 kilometers south-east of Paris. The fast-moving blaze scorched more than 800 hectares of the one-time royal hunting preserve, which is home to several quiet villages.
French officials deployed two firefighting aircraft and around 400 firefighters to battle the flames. The fire continued to spread into early Monday as crews worked to contain the blaze.
The wildfire caused significant disruptions during an intense heatwave and the first major weekend for summer holiday departures, occurring just ahead of the July 14 national holiday. The blaze led to the evacuation of villages, the partial closure of the A6 highway, the country’s main north-south artery, and disrupted high-speed rail traffic.