Fontainebleau Forest Fire 2026
Major wildfire in Fontainebleau forest, 60 km SE of Paris, July 12-13 2026. 800+ hectares burned, 900+ people evacuated, 500+ firefighters deployed. Bastille Day fireworks cancelled in Paris region. Arson suspected. Interior Minister Nuñez: 'exceptional scale'. Third French heatwave since May, 3 nuclear plants shut down. Sources: France 24, Euronews, NBC News.
The context
A fast-moving wildfire broke out in the Fontainebleau forest on the night of July 12–13, 2026, approximately 60 km south-east of Paris. By the morning of July 13, the blaze had consumed over 800 hectares of the forest, one of the largest natural parks near the French capital, a destination for millions of Parisians each year and a UNESCO-listed cultural landscape. Approximately 900 residents from nearby villages including Vaudoue have been evacuated. More than 500 firefighters are deployed, supported by aerial tanker aircraft, and the A6 motorway south of Paris was partially closed at the height of the fire.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez described the blaze as “very virulent” and of “exceptional scale,” and investigators suspect it was deliberately started, though the investigation is ongoing and no arrest has been announced. The fire is the most dramatic consequence so far of a summer of extreme heat in France: the country is experiencing its third heatwave since May 2026, with the Paris region under extreme fire risk alerts. The heat has also forced the temporary shutdown of three nuclear power stations, which cannot operate safely when river cooling water exceeds legal temperature limits.
In an unprecedented step, authorities cancelled Bastille Day fireworks displays and public dances (July 14) in Paris and surrounding areas, citing the heat and fire risk. The decision adds a sombre note to a Bastille Day that is already extraordinary: the same evening, France plays Spain in the World Cup semi-final (9pm CEST, AT&T Stadium, Dallas). France entered 2026 on a trajectory of worsening fire seasons: Interior Minister Nuñez has warned that total burned area for the year is expected to reach around 25,000 hectares, roughly double the equivalent period in 2025.