The fire in the Fontainebleau forest in Seine-et-Marne is still not under control. While the main blaze, which began burning late on Sunday afternoon, has already swept through nearly 1,500 hectares (15 square kilometres), a second fire broke out on Monday shortly before 3 pm (CEST) near the town of Fontainebleau and its 15,000 residents, and by 9 am on Tuesday morning had reduced 300 to 400 hectares of land to ashes.
Around 850 firefighters and 200 ground vehicles have been deployed. Given the severity of the situation, four Canadair aircraft, two Dash water bombers and three water-bombing helicopters are expected during the day. It is a first for the Île-de-France region.
Seine-et-Marne prefect, Pierre Ory said at his latest press conference it was, "a fire of a completely exceptional nature and scale, and resources that are just as exceptional, utterly unusual. As you can see for yourselves, Dash aircraft and Canadairs flying over the Fontainebleau forest. Until now, that was something we had obviously never seen."
According to local authorities, the urban area of Fontainebleau is not under threat from the fires. But as a precaution, about a thousand people have been evacuated, including residents of a campsite on the edge of the forest. The busy A6 motorway remains closed near the town.
Two people arrested have admitted to the offences
The public prosecutor for Fontainebleau has announced that two men have admitted to starting separate fires in the Fontainebleau area.
The first, a young man born in 2007 and a volunteer firefighter in Fontainebleau, admitted to deliberately setting fire to twigs using a lighter and petrol. He has no previous criminal record, the prosecutor added.
The second man, also born in 2007 and with no previous criminal record, admitted to accidentally causing a fire after throwing a cigarette butt near the Faisanderie in Fontainebleau.
The prosecutor also stated that a third person remains in police custody as part of the investigation, and that enquiries are continuing to determine the exact circumstances surrounding the various fires.
