French President Emmanuel Macron has said there would be "zero tolerance" for arson after France was hit by wildfires that have scorched thousands of hectares, as multiple heatwaves since May have dried out forests and fields. Dozens have been arrested across the country over starting fires, including a volunteer firefighter.
Around 35,000 hectares have been impacted by the recent fires – more than during the entire 2025 fire season, according to authorities.
France "has never faced so many outbreaks of fire across the country since the end of World War II", Macron said during a visit to the historic Fontainebleau forest near Paris, where more than 2,000 hectares have been hit by fires since 5 July.
"Here, as everywhere else in France, there will be zero tolerance [for arsonists] because it is, of course, our national territory that is under attack every time a fire breaks out", Macron added.
'Unprecedented pressure'
The president arrived at the operational command centre at Fontainebleau to speak with emergency teams who have been working since Sunday to contain two fires in the forest, which are now under control but still burning.
“France is facing unprecedented pressure” from wildfires, Macron said, expressing his “gratitude” to the firefighters mobilised across the country.
Around 950 firefighters remain deployed in the Fontainebleau forest, with 120 additional military personnel being sent to help soak the edges of burned areas to prevent flames from reigniting.
The fire came close to the Fontainebleau Palace and park, a Unesco World Heritage site since 1981.
Nearly 1,000 residents have been evacuated from their homes in villages scattered throughout the forest, while the fires forced the closure of the A6 highway, which connects Paris with the south of France.
Firefighter arrested
Two men are in custody, suspected of having set the Fontainebleau fires. One is an 18-year-old volunteer firefighter who admitted to deliberately starting a fire.
The two men are unrelated, and accused of starting two separate fires.
The volunteer firefighter admitted to "setting fire to twigs with a lighter and gasoline”. The other suspect, an 18-year-old student, admitted to "accidentally starting a fire by throwing away his cigarette", prosecutor Diane Ngomsik told French media.
Both men have been charged with “destruction by fire” and are due to see a judge on Thursday. They have been placed in pre-trial detention.
Six people were arrested as part of the wider investigation into the fires that have burned though the forest, which has been a Unesco biosphere reserve since 1998.
The fires have destroyed much what Unesco calls the “exceptional diversity of habitats” in the forest that “support a remarkable array of plant and animal species”.
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said the Fontainebleau blaze is contributing to what will likely be a record year for wildfires in France. Around 32,000 have already burned this year.
Another major fire broke out Wednesday in the La Grande-Verriere, in the Morvan region.
Nunez said 59 people have been arrested across France on suspicion of starting fires.
(with newswires)
