Wildfires near Paris have forced evacuations, disrupted transport links and prompted the deployment of hundreds of firefighters as France continues to experience extreme heat.
The blaze broke out on Sunday evening (12 July) near the Fontainebleau forest, around 70 kilometres south-east of Paris, spreading across more than 800 hectares amid strong winds.
Officials said the fire was still spreading early on Monday (13 July), and that it could take ‘several days and weeks to contain it’, according to the Guardian.
The fire forced the closure of the A6 motorway, a major route connecting Paris with Lyon and the south of France, and a separate fire blocked a highway running east from Paris.
High-speed rail lines towards the south of France were also disrupted, with travellers facing delays of up to six hours on Sunday evening services arriving at or departing from Paris’ Gare de Lyon, according to French rail operator SNCF.
Around 400 firefighters were mobilised to contain the fires, with two waterbombing aircraft scrambled from the south of France to support efforts.
Authorities described the blaze as ‘very virulent’ and of ‘exceptional scale,’ as reported by the BBC.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said around 900 homes had been evacuated, but confirmed that no properties had been destroyed and no injuries had been reported.
The area is home to the historic Fontainebleau Palace, one of France’s best-known royal residences and a popular tourist attraction.
The wildfires come as southern Europe faces a wider spell of extreme heat and fires. In Spain’s southern province of Almeria, the death toll from last week’s devastating wildfire rose to 13 after a 93-year-old British woman died from burns, while 10 people remained missing on Monday, according to authorities.
The UK Foreign Office has also updated its travel advice to add Turkiye and Cyprus to the list of countries where ‘there is a high risk of wildfires during the summer season from April to October’.
The warning already applies to France and Spain, which have both been affected by wildfires amid prolonged hot and dry conditions.
Separately, the Foreign Office has also updated its advice for France due to Bastille Day, warning that celebrations in Paris on 13-14 July will bring metro and RER station closures, as well as vehicle access and parking restrictions in parts of the city between 6am and 3pm on 14 July.
Photo is a stock image of a forest fire from Shutterstock
