Close to 2.000 hectors of Font forest destroyed by wildfire

Exceptional wildfires are currently sweeping through parts of France's Fontainebleau Forest. Located around 70 km south-east of Paris, the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve is home to around 5,000 plant species, 6,600 known animal species, and is internationally renowned as one of the world's premier bouldering destinations. (c) SDIS 77

French firefighters continued battling two wildfires in the Fontainebleau Forest on Tuesday after the blazes burned through more than 1,900 hectares of the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve near Paris. Police have arrested two people on suspicion of starting the fire, which has forced around 1,000 residents to evacuate.

According to initial reports, the fire broke out on Sunday afternoon and, fuelled by an unprecedented heatwave. More than 400 firefighters have been deployed to tackle the blaze, which was still burning early today. The cause remains under investigation.

PlanetGrimpe.com reports that the affected areas include Barbizon, Achères-la-Forêt, Le Vaudoué, Noisy-sur-École, Les Écrennes and Fontainebleau. Access to the forest has also been banned until further notice by the Seine-et-Marne Prefecture.

The website says the scale of the fire is the result of a combination of extreme drought, successive heatwaves, highly flammable vegetation, dry sandy soils, heavy visitor numbers and the growing impacts of climate change. It also highlights an increasing build-up of dead vegetation, creating more fuel for fast-moving wildfires.