Some 10% of the historic forest south of Paris has been burned
A volunteer firefighter has been placed under formal investigation in France on suspicion of starting a fire in a forest south of Paris, officials say. The blaze, which began last Sunday, has scorched over 2,000 hectares (about 5,000 acres) and forced the evacuation of roughly 1,000 people.
On Thursday, President Emmanuel Macron visited the site and condemned arson, vowing that no leniency would be offered to anyone who caused the fire. He noted that France has not seen so many forest fires since World War Two.
The 18‑year‑old firefighter initially confessed to “setting fire to twigs with a lighter and petrol”, but later retracted the admission. A second 18‑year‑old man has also been placed under formal investigation, a step that may lead to charges and a future trial.
The fire forced temporary closures on the A21 motorway, France’s main north‑south route, and the forest is home to the UNESCO‑listed Palace and Park of Fontainebleau.
Climate change has accelerated temperatures across Europe, with the continent warming twice as fast as the global average. This trend has sparked more intense heatwaves, strained water supplies, and amplified the risk of severe wildfires, a pattern echoed in recent fires in Spain and the UK.
With nearly 11,000 fires recorded in France since the beginning of the year, authorities remain vigilant. The investigation of the volunteer firefighter highlights the broader challenge of managing fire risks in an era of rising temperatures.
For more on this story and the broader climate context, you can read related coverage from the BBC and other outlets.
