FONTAINEBLEAU, FRANCE – A second forest fire has broken out within roughly one kilometre of the Château de Fontainebleau, forcing the closure of the palace gardens as two blazes in the surrounding forest have now burned some 1,920 hectares.
Forest fire threatens France’s great royal château
The fire began on Sunday 12 July in the forest of Fontainebleau, the vast former royal hunting ground that surrounds the château some 60 kilometres south of Paris. The main blaze has consumed around five per cent of the forest’s total area, an extraordinary figure for woodland that generations of Parisians have treated as the capital’s green lung.
The château itself, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and residence of French sovereigns from Louis VII to Napoleon III, remains undamaged. A deputy mayor of Fontainebleau confirmed that the urban area is not under threat, though several institutions were evacuated, including the golf course, the Grand Parquet equestrian stadium and the INSEAD business school. The gardens closed to visitors after the second fire ignited within sight of the palace.
Largest blaze near Paris in living memory
Nearly 850 firefighters are deployed, including 650 drawn from across France. For the first time, Canadair water bombers are operating this close to the capital, refilling their tanks directly from the Seine. Army bulldozers are carving a firebreak a kilometre long to give fire engines access to the terrain.
President Emmanuel Macron said all necessary means were being deployed against a fire of exceptional scale. Fire officials say neither blaze has yet been fully contained, though the main front has stopped advancing.
Heatwave, arson inquiry and travel disruption
France is enduring its third heatwave of the summer, with temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius across western and central regions. Twenty-six departments are under red alert.
Investigators are examining the causes. One suspect has admitted accidentally starting a fire by discarding a cigarette, according to the public prosecutor, while arson remains under consideration for the initial outbreak.
Visitors should note that the A6 motorway remains closed in Seine-et-Marne, and trains from the Gare de Lyon suffered disruption before returning to normal service. Anyone planning a visit to the château should check its official website before travelling.
Sources: franceinfo, ICI (France Bleu), AP
