In the night from Sunday, July 12 to Monday, July 13, 2026, an unprecedentedly fierce fire broke out in the Fontainebleau forest, southeast of Paris. In just a few hours, the flames spread over more than 800 hectares, making fire management particularly challenging. In total, about fifteen homes were evacuated and significant resources were deployed. This exceptional massif is engulfed in flames, we've never seen anything like this , declares Julien Gondard, the mayor of Fontainebleau, to ICI Paris Île-de-France.
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500 firefighters and two Canadairs
Currently, over 500 firefighters are on-site, ready to work for “one or two weeks ”. This Monday, July 13th, two Canadairs refilling in the Seine have also been deployed — a first in Île-de-France. “The use of water bombers in the Fontainebleau forest, this is the first time this has happened ”, says Paul Laurain, spokesperson for the firefighters in the department, speaking to franceinfo. The management of “ .one hectare is 12 to 18 hours of work », the firefighters explained to the Minister of the Interior Laurent Nuñez, who visited the site.
Les Canadairs écopent dans la Seine #feu #fontainebleau pic.twitter.com/wzVnCzNxj9
— Antoine (@Ant01ne) July 13, 2026
An ongoing investigation to determine the cause of the fire
This fire has led to significant road traffic disruptions, including the closure of the A6 motorway between Soisy-sur-École and Nemours. Rail traffic has also been affected: it is expected to gradually return to normal on Monday, but several delays have been reported.
According to Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez, who spoke on Monday morning: “The fire started in several locations in the late afternoon [Sunday, July 12], with about ten points of fire, indicating a possible deliberate cause. I won't say more; an investigation is underway.”
The high temperatures are not helping either.
s à exclure. In France, 25,000 hectares have already been ravaged by flames this year due to particularly severe heatwaves that led to dry soils. 59 departments have been placed on orange alert for forest fires on Monday, July 13.Voir cette publication sur Instagram