The forest of Fontainebleau outside Paris has partially reopened to the public after remaining off-limits for over a month due to devastating wildfires. From Saturday, visitors can access some 80 percent of the forest, but are being warned to show caution around fragile wildlife and charred trees.
Around 4,000 of the more than 20,000 hectares that make up Fontainebleau are still closed as firefighters battle to put out the last embers of the fires that started in mid-July.
The blazes scorched over 2,000 hectares of the former royal hunting grounds, the largest forest in the Paris region and one of Europe's richest biodiversity reserves.
"All the needles are completely dry and have turned this ochre colour. It's a very clear sign that the trees behind me are completely dead," Sophie David, an officer with France's National Forestry Office, told RFI.
"Besides these very distinctive colours, you can close your eyes and try to smell this odour. It's not really the smell of a log fire; it's the smell of burnt wood."
Cooler conditions
Even after the flames have been extinguished on the surface, Fontainebleau's dry, sandy soil allows fire to spread underground and flare up days or even weeks later.
But authorities say cooler weather has made it safer for visitors to return to the forest from this weekend.
"We're out of the heatwave and are now finally returning to a climate that's more typical for in the Île-de-France region, meaning cool nights and daytime temperatures of around 25 degrees at the moment," said Olivier Conta, head of the Fontainebleau fire service.
"We are no longer in what we'd call a period of severe forest fire risk. So conditions are now acceptable, and I think it's the right time for the public to be able to enjoy part of the forest again."
Visitors have been warned not to smoke or light barbecues, to stay away from restricted areas and to watch out for falling branches and trees.
Slow recovery
Some of the best-known parts of Fontainebleau remain off-limits, including the Trois Pignons area of dunes and sandstone boulders, and woodland around the village of Barbizon, a favourite of French painters.
Forestry officer David says the rest of the forest will only reopen gradually, with scorched areas expected to take several decades to recover fully.
At the edge of Fontainebleau, behind the safety tape, a dog walker named Jocelyne told RFI she was glad to return to the forest, where she has been coming for 12 years.
"I'm very happy, but it might be a bit too soon," she said. "Perhaps we should leave the animals and nature in peace for a while."
This article was adapted from original reporting in French by Sarah Rodriguez.
