NOISY-SUR-ECOLE, France — More than 400 firefighters battled through Monday to contain a fast-moving wildfire in the historic Fontainebleau forest south of Paris, as an intense heatwave and dry conditions heightened wildfire risks across much of western Europe.
The blaze, which broke out on Sunday near a highway close to Fontainebleau, had burned more than 800 hectares (about 1,980 acres) by early Monday, according to French authorities. The fire forced the closure of sections of the A6 motorway linking Paris with Lyon and southern France, while smaller fires in the area disrupted high-speed rail services during one of the country's busiest summer travel periods.
French authorities deployed two water-bombing aircraft, helicopters and an observation plane to support ground crews after firefighting operations from the air were suspended overnight. Officials warned residents that the aircraft would collect water from the River Seine as efforts to contain the blaze continued.
"The fight continues today," the French fire service said in a statement posted on social media, as crews worked to prevent the flames from spreading further into the forest and nearby communities.
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said investigators were examining whether the fire had been deliberately started after authorities identified multiple ignition points within a relatively small area. He stressed that the investigation was ongoing and no conclusions had been reached.
The Fontainebleau forest, about 70 kilometers southeast of Paris, is one of France's best-known natural and cultural sites, surrounding the former royal residence of the Château de Fontainebleau and attracting millions of visitors each year.
The wildfire comes as France experiences its third major heatwave of the summer. Authorities placed around 26 million people under the country's highest heat alert, warning that exceptionally high temperatures, dry vegetation and gusty winds were creating dangerous fire conditions across large parts of the country.
The fire near Paris is part of a broader wave of extreme weather affecting Europe. Spain has also been battling deadly wildfires during the same heatwave, while several other countries have reported elevated wildfire risks and heat-related disruptions. Scientists have repeatedly linked increasingly frequent and severe heatwaves in Europe to climate change, although attribution of any individual wildfire depends on multiple factors, including weather, vegetation and possible human activity.
As of Monday, French authorities said firefighters remained on the scene and the blaze had not yet been fully contained, with monitoring and suppression efforts expected to continue.
