Fontainebleau Wildfires Fixed as Multiple Suspects Detained

Overview

• The two main fires were declared fixed Tuesday evening after burning about 2,000–2,050 hectares of the Fontainebleau massif.
• Roughly 800 firefighters remain on site using aerial drops and ground crews to extinguish smouldering peat and prevent re-ignitions.
• Authorities have placed several people in custody; an 18-year-old volunteer firefighter has been charged and placed in pretrial detention after initially admitting starting a fire.
• Investigators are treating both accidental and intentional causes, questioning suspects linked to separate starts, probing nearby works by the A6 as a possible trigger, and detaining a 46-year-old for attempted arson after police found crumpled paper and a lighter.
• About 1,000 people were evacuated during the blaze and residents have been allowed to return in some areas while officials warn that peat fires can smoulder underground for days or weeks and keep the forest closed to the public.