High temperatures in the Paris region are making it difficult to fight the fire in the Fontainebleau forest, south of the French capital. Hundreds of firefighters continue to fight the flames, which have already consumed almost 2 thousand hectares of the forest reserve recognized by UNESCO. Around a thousand people were evacuated due to the risk of the fire advancing into inhabited areas.
Fire near Paris continues, and fire also threatens areas of the United Kingdom
High temperatures in the Paris region are making it difficult to fight the fire in the Fontainebleau forest, south of the French capital. Hundreds of firefighters continue to fight the flames, which have already...
According to Reuters, two fires were still active on Tuesday (14/7) in Fontainebleau. Despite the heat, which persists in much of France and Western Europe, wind conditions weakened throughout the day, making the firefighters' work easier. By late afternoon, French authorities considered the fires to be under control.
French Interior Minister Laurent Núñez confirmed that six people have been arrested on suspicion in connection with the fires in Fontainebleau. According to the newspaper Le Monde, the French government believes the fire may have been set deliberately. A volunteer firefighter was also detained and, according to a regional prosecutor, confessed to participating in the act.
“The sections of forest that were devastated by the fire are among the most majestic, with truly sublime views,” a resident of Bourron-Marlotte, about 10 km from the main fire focus in Fontainebleau, told AFP. “The forest will never be the same again.” Associated Press and DW, among others, gave more details about the fire in the Paris region.
On the other side of the English Channel, the United Kingdom also suffers from several fires caused and/or intensified by high temperatures. According to the president of the National Council of Fire Chiefs, firefighters are under “extreme pressure”, with firefighting work made difficult by the heat and the low expectation of rain in the coming days. Around 19 fires remained active across the UK yesterday, particularly in Wales and England.
"This ongoing heatwave is the most widespread the UK has ever experienced. We've had a lot of fires in certain regions in the past, but we've never seen fires burning across the country like this," Claire Belcher, director of the University of Exeter's Forest Fire Laboratory, told the Guardian. The BBC also covered the fire situation in the United Kingdom.
Source:
ClimaInfo
