Suspicious fire in Fontainebleau forest: 10 ignition points, French authorities suspect deliberate arson

Firefighting teams in France are battling a powerful fire that has engulfed the famous Fontainebleau forest, located about 60 kilometers southeast of the capital Paris. Initial suspicions of investigators point to a possible criminal act.

Interior Minister Laurent Nunez announced that law enforcement have found approximately ten initial fire points spread over an area of one kilometer, an element that strengthens the theory of deliberate arson. The preliminary toll speaks of about 800 hectares of charred forest, and as a result of the flames, a segment of the country’s main north-south highway had to be partially closed.

In an unprecedented move, the government has mobilized aerial resources from the southern region to extinguish the fire hotspots in the Paris area. Two specialized helicopters and an aircraft are also operating on the ground for overhead monitoring of the situation.

The consequences of the emergency have been felt heavily in the transport sector. Another fire outbreak has blocked a highway east of Paris and caused the temporary suspension of a high-speed train line service. Meanwhile, at the Gare de Lyon railway station, citizens have faced waits of up to six hours.

Official statistics show that since the beginning of this year, fires in French territory have scorched about 25,000 hectares of land. Meanwhile, the third heatwave of this summer has forced authorities to temporarily suspend the operation of three nuclear power plants and has also affected the Tour de France cycling race, where due to temperatures of nearly 40 degrees Celsius, organizers had to shorten one of the stages.

Climate specialists warn that climate change is significantly increasing the intensity and frequency of heatwaves on the old continent, which is warming at a faster rate than any other region of the globe.