More than 2,000 hectares of Fontainebleau forest near Paris destroyed by wildfires

Cover image: A firefighter works to extinguish flames in the Fontainebleau forest near Paris on July 13, 2026. © Stephane Mahe, Reuters

French firefighters on Tuesday are still fighting two wildfires that have so far ravaged more than 2,000 hectares of Fontainebleau forest, a UNESCO biosphere reserve near Paris. Police on Monday arrested two people suspected of starting the blaze that has forced some 1,000 local residents to evacuate.

Hundreds of French firefighters aided by water bombers on Tuesday battled wildfires that have ravaged a hugely popular forest outside Paris as another scorching heatwave keeps the capital in its grip.