"Exceptional" fire engulfs vast areas in the famous Fontainebleau forest near Paris

The famous Fontainebleau Forest, located south of the French capital, was engulfed in a fire that spread on an “exceptional scale” early yesterday, as the country experiences its third heatwave of the year. This prompted authorities to deploy two Canadair aircraft to drop water on the blaze.

Smoke plumes were seen rising above the forest, which is 20 kilometers away, as fire trucks made their way to the fire sites, according to France Press journalists. Farmers joined firefighting efforts by mounting water tanks on their tractors.

Two Dash aircraft were dispatched from southern France to help contain the fire, while Interior Minister Laurent Nunez traveled to Fontainebleau, known for its castle dating back to the royal era and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The fire, which broke out the day before yesterday, had covered approximately 800 hectares by yesterday morning. The Fontainebleau Forest, spanning more than 20,000 hectares, is located about 60 kilometers southeast of Paris.

The blaze disrupted traffic on a section of the A6 motorway, the main artery leading to southeastern France that passes through the forest. It also caused delays of several hours for train services.