- At least two individuals have been arrested on suspicion of deliberately starting a wildfire in the Fontainebleau forest, south of Paris, after multiple ignition points were discovered near the origin of the blaze.
- The fire, which began on Sunday with a second incident reported the following day, forced the evacuation of approximately 900 people and has scorched over 1,300 hectares of land.
- French interior minister Laurent Nunez confirmed the fire was 'not under control' and revealed that 59 people, including minors, have been arrested across France for suspected arson amid a brutal heatwave.
- The ongoing wildfires have led to the closure of the A6 highway connecting Paris with Lyon and disrupted high-speed train services, with authorities estimating 32,000 hectares burned and 13 lives lost across France this year.
- Scientists warn that the increasing frequency and intensity of heatwaves, which exacerbate wildfire risks, are being worsened by the climate crisis, driven in part by the burning of fossil fuels.
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