In Pictures

By News Agencies

This story was originally published on 14 Jul 202614 Jul 2026.

France has been battling multiple wildfires as a third heatwave in less than three months sweeps across the country.

France has been battling two wildfires that have scorched more than 1,300 hectares (about 3,200 acres) of forest south of Paris.

Aircraft in the skies and firefighters on the ground worked throughout Monday to bring the flames under control.

The fire ignited on Sunday in the vast Fontainebleau region, a former royal hunting ground now home to quiet villages some 60 kilometers (40 miles) southeast of Paris.

As the region sweltered in its latest heatwave, the wildfire spread rapidly across the UNESCO biosphere reserve, disrupting rail and road traffic during a busy long holiday weekend.

About 1,000 people in and around Fontainebleau were evacuated.

The fire's intensity led authorities to dispatch four Canadair aircraft, two Dash planes, and three water-bombing helicopters.

By nightfall on Monday, about 600 firefighters remained mobilised and were taking turns to fight the flames on the ground, said the commander of the rescue operations, Jean-Marc Sicard.

France is enduring a third heatwave in less than three months, with fires burning in several parts of the country over the past week.

It is the latest episode of extreme weather, which scientists say has become more frequent in recent decades due to human-driven climate change.

The country recorded more than 2,000 excess deaths during the June heatwave and 300 during the high temperatures in late May, according to official figures.

Since the start of the year, wildfires have scorched about 25,000 hectares (61,800 acres) of land in France, the director general of civil security, Julien Marion, said on Friday.

Temperatures are likely to remain high through France’s Bastille Day national holiday on Tuesday, according to the Meteo-France weather service.

firefighters works to extinguish flames in the Fontainebleau forest
A fire engine sprays fire retardant to douse the Fontainebleau forest fire near Noisy-sur-Ecole in the Ile-de-France region of France. [Thomas Samson/AFP]
firefighters works to extinguish flames in the Fontainebleau forest
The blaze broke out on Sunday in the sprawling Fontainebleau forest. [Stephane Mahe/Reuters]
firefighters works to extinguish flames in the Fontainebleau forest
The wildfire spread rapidly across the UNESCO biosphere reserve, disrupting rail and road traffic during a busy long holiday weekend. [Emma Da Silva/AP Photo]
firefighters works to extinguish flames in the Fontainebleau forest
Firefighting helicopters collect water from a temporary reservoir established by firefighters and local farmers, in Fontainebleau. [Pierre Crom/Getty Images]
France wildfire
The scale of the fire prompted the deployment of four Canadair aircraft along with two Dash planes and three water-bombing helicopters. [Stephane Mahe/Reuters]
Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani
A Canadair aircraft drops water on the wildfire in the Fontainebleau forest region. [Emma Da Silva/AP Photo]
France wildfire
By nightfall on Monday, about 600 firefighters remained mobilised and were taking turns to fight the flames on the ground. [Stephane Mahe/Reuters]

This latest blaze near Paris, which forced about 1,000 evacuations and disrupted travel during a holiday weekend, highlights the growing threat of wildfires in temperate forests. Scientists attribute the increasing frequency of such extreme weather events to human-driven climate change. With firefighting resources stretched, the coming days will be critical as temperatures remain high.