A fire raging on Monday in the historic and much-visited Fontainebleau forest south of Paris prompted evacuations of some residential neighbourhoods and disrupted train and highway traffic. It was among several wildfires raging in western European countries as the region bakes under its third red-alert heat wave this year.
The Fontainebleau forest fire is unusual for its proximity to the French capital — about 70 kilometres (42 miles). The region hosts the Fontainebleau Chateau favoured by Napoleon and is popular with visitors from Paris and beyond.
Two water-dumping planes were deployed over the area along with hundreds of firefighters on the ground, regional fire service spokesperson Paul Laurain told public broadcaster France-Info.
Trains to and from the bustling Gare de Lyon train station were disrupted late Sunday but were returning to normal Monday morning. A section of the busy A6 highway leading southeast of Paris was shut down because of fire risk.
Large fires in southern France have already scorched thousands of hectares since last week, disrupting the Tour de France cycling race and stretching firefighting resources.
France is experiencing the peak of its third heat wave of the summer, with temperatures surpassing 40 C (104 F) across western and central areas and around 37 C (98 F) in Paris.
Spain is also experiencing extreme heat and violent fires, including one that roared through a remote expat community last week, killing at least 12 people as victims tried to flee the flames in cars and on foot.
Europe is the world’s fastest-warming continent, with temperatures increasing twice as fast as the global average since the 1980s, according to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service.
