An exceptional fire swept through the Fontainebleau forest south of the French capital Paris, amid the second heatwave France is experiencing this year.

The fire spread to about 800 hectares, requiring the involvement of more than 400 firefighters, two Dash aircraft and two helicopters to control the flames, while about 15 homes were evacuated and part of the A6 highway was closed.

Authorities confirmed that aerial intervention helped prevent the evacuation of two nearby villages, while French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez announced that about 17,000 hectares of forest have burned across the country, with expectations that the affected area could rise to 25,000 hectares due to the heatwave.