Fontainebleau Forest Fire: 800 Hectares Affected, Evacuations Continue

A fire that broke out in the Fontainebleau Forest southeast of the French capital Paris has spread to 800 hectares. The A6 motorway was partially closed due to the fire, and 15 homes were evacuated in the village of Vaudoue.

Scraper SystemJuly 14, 2026, 12:25 PM

Fontainebleau Forest Fire: 800 Hectares Affected, Evacuations Continue

A fire that started in the afternoon in the Fontainebleau Forest, about 60 kilometers southeast of the French capital Paris, quickly grew and engulfed 800 hectares.

Officials described the fire as "very violent" and "of exceptional scale," and reported that the flames were still spreading.

The A6 motorway, the country's main north-south artery, was partially closed to traffic due to the fire. As darkness fell, firefighting aircraft had to suspend their operations.

The Seine-et-Marne fire service announced that about 15 homes in the village of Vaudoue had been evacuated and that crews were fighting to protect other towns in the area.

Villagers gathered anxiously, watching emergency vehicles pass and making phone calls to find out if their homes were still at risk.

Valerie, one of the evacuees, told AFP, "We could see the ashes falling." Sitting with her husband Daniel next to the war memorial in Vaudoue, Valerie said they did not know where they would sleep.

"We put the cats and dogs in the car... We could see the fire on both sides," she added.

Olivier Compta, who is leading the firefighting operation, said that without the firefighting aircraft, other villages would have already been evacuated.