A fire burning in the historic Fontainebleau forest south of Paris on Monday led to the evacuation of some residential neighborhoods and caused disruptions to train and highway traffic.
This incident is part of several wildfires across western Europe as the region endures its third red-alert heat wave this year.
In Spain, 10 individuals remained missing on Monday from a fire that swept through a remote southern expatriate community last week, resulting in 13 fatalities in one of the nation's deadliest blazes.
The Fontainebleau forest fire is notable due to its closeness to the French capital—approximately 70 kilometers (42 miles). The area includes the Fontainebleau Chateau, favored by Napoleon, and attracts many visitors from Paris and elsewhere.
French President Emmanuel Macron stated that all necessary resources were being deployed to combat the fire of "exceptional scale."
Regional fire service spokesperson Paul Laurain informed public broadcaster France-Info that two water-dumping planes were sent over the area alongside hundreds of firefighters.
Pierre Ory, head of the regional administration, told French media that an investigation is underway and that arson remains a possibility under consideration.
Ory also reported that a new fire has ignited in another section of the forest. The initial blaze has not yet been contained and continues to spread at a moderate pace.
"Winds are turning, which is significantly complicating the work of the firefighters," he stated.
Trains serving the busy Gare de Lyon station were disrupted late Sunday but resumed normal service Monday morning. A segment of the busy A6 highway southeast of Paris was closed due to fire risk.
Large fires in southern France have already burned thousands of hectares (acres) since last week, impacting the Tour de France cycling race and straining firefighting resources.
France is currently experiencing the peak of its third summer heat wave, with temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) across western and central areas and reaching about 37 C (98 F) in Paris.
**Spain reeling from deadly wildfire**
A 93-year-old British national died Sunday in a hospital from injuries sustained in the Los Gallardos wildfire, bringing the death toll to 13.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez was scheduled to visit the fire site on Monday. Regional authorities confirmed that the blaze was contained on Sunday after affecting roughly 70 square kilometers (27 square miles) of forest and farmland—an area larger than Manhattan.
Spain is facing extreme heat, which, combined with wind and low rainfall, is creating ideal conditions for small wildfires to grow unchecked.
Europe is identified as the world's fastest-warming continent; according to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service, temperatures there have risen twice as fast as the global average since the 1980s.
**Homes evacuated in UK due to fires**
British media reported that people were evacuated from several dozen rural homes in north Wales after a wildfire broke out across a mountainside on Sunday.
Wildfires also occurred in multiple locations throughout England as another heat wave—the third this year—brought hot, sunny, and dry conditions.
The Met Office indicated that record heat waves since May have led to 2026 potentially being the first year to register temperatures of 35 C (95 F) or higher on six separate days. This surpassed the previous record set in 1976 and 2020, when five such days were recorded.
Natural England’s fire severity index has classified much of England as having a "very high" risk of wildfires, with certain areas in southern England and the Midlands rated at an "exceptional" risk.