Wildfires: France already reports more than 32,000 hectares affected

Fontainebleau – 13 July 2026: France is experiencing a particularly early and extensive start to the forest fire season. According to Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez, fires have affected more than 32,000 hectares of vegetation across the country since the beginning of the year. The affected area has therefore already exceeded the figure for the entire 2025 fire season. This figure includes not only destroyed forest areas, but the entire area through which the fire has passed.

At the center of the current situation on Monday is a fire in the Fontainebleau forest in the Seine-et-Marne department. The fire spread on a scale unusual for the region and required significant firefighting resources, including firefighting aircraft. Authorities are investigating the cause. Laurent Nuñez said that deliberate arson is being examined as a possible explanation; no final conclusion has yet been reached.

However, the series of fires is not limited to Greater Paris. In recent weeks, major vegetation fires have occurred in the Pyrénées-Orientales and Drôme departments, as well as in several departments in southern and southeastern France. There in particular, prolonged drought, high temperatures and wind are contributing to the rapid spread of fires. As a result, fires are occurring much earlier than during the traditional summer months of heightened risk.

A comparison with 2025 shows the scale of the situation. As early as the beginning of July, authorities pointed to an unusually high number of fire outbreaks and several thousand mobilized emergency responders. For the state, this is primarily a question of capacity to withstand the strain: fire services, civil protection and the aerial fleet must remain operational in different regions simultaneously over an extended period.

The government launched a national campaign against forest and vegetation fires on 4 June at the Nîmes-Garons base. Since 2023, the Direction générale de la sécurité civile et de la gestion des crises has coordinated key elements of aerial and ground operations there. France is expanding its firefighting aviation capacity and, together with the European Union, is funding two additional Canadair aircraft. However, this reinforcement will only have its full effect in the medium term.

Current data also point to a structural change in risk. Météo-France and state authorities assume that the danger of vegetation fires will spread both geographically and over time. The fire in Fontainebleau therefore has political significance: it shows that not only the Mediterranean region, but also the wooded areas of the Paris Basin, must prepare for longer periods of drought and extreme fire situations.

In the coming days, the situation will depend on weather developments, wind and the success of ongoing firefighting efforts. Authorities are urging people in forested and scrubland areas to avoid all sources of ignition