Wildfires burn more than 1,300 hectares south of Paris
Fire crews and aircraft fought fires in the Fontainebleau area as heat disrupted travel and forced evacuations over France’s holiday weekend.
By Daniel Okafor · Business Editor
2 min read
France fought two wildfires south of Paris that burned more than 1,300 hectares, about 3,200 acres, news agencies reported. The fires mattered beyond the immediate danger because they hit the Fontainebleau forest area, a UNESCO biosphere reserve and former royal hunting estate, during a heatwave and a busy holiday weekend.
The main blaze began on Sunday in the sprawling Fontainebleau forest, about 60km, or 40 miles, southeast of the French capital, according to news agencies. The area includes quiet villages and is known for its historic ties to the French monarchy.
Aircraft and ground crews worked through Monday to contain the flames, news agencies reported. The response included four Canadair aircraft, two Dash planes and three water-bombing helicopters after the fire expanded quickly in hot conditions.
About 1,000 people in and around Fontainebleau were evacuated, according to news agencies. Rail and road traffic were disrupted as the fire spread across the reserve during the long holiday weekend.
Hundreds of firefighters remained on the line
Jean-Marc Sicard, commander of the rescue operations, said about 600 firefighters were still mobilised by Monday night. Sicard said crews were rotating through ground operations as they worked to bring the fire under control.
Images from the area showed firefighters spraying retardant near Noisy-sur-Ecole and aircraft dropping water over burned forest. Photo agencies also documented helicopters drawing water from a temporary reservoir set up by firefighters and local farmers in Fontainebleau.
The fire came as France endured its third heatwave in less than three months, news agencies reported. Fires had burned in several parts of the country during the previous week.
Scientists say extreme weather has become more frequent in recent decades because of human-driven climate change. Official figures cited by news agencies said France recorded more than 2,000 excess deaths during the June heatwave and 300 during high temperatures in late May.
High temperatures forecast for Bastille Day
Julien Marion, France’s director general of civil security, said on Friday that wildfires had burned about 25,000 hectares, or 61,800 acres, of land in France since the start of the year. The figure underscored the strain on emergency services before the Fontainebleau fires.
Meteo-France, the national weather service, said temperatures were likely to remain high through Tuesday, France’s Bastille Day national holiday. That forecast kept pressure on fire crews working in and around the forest south of Paris.
News agencies reported that the Fontainebleau fire grew rapidly as the region sweltered. Authorities had not provided a cause for the blaze in the details reported.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.