New fires hit France's Fontainebleau forest weeks after major blaze

Two new fires broke out on Wednesday in France's Fontainebleau Forest, just weeks after a major wildfire burned nearly 2,000 hectares (4,942 acres) in the same area, according to French broadcaster BFMTV.

The first fire burned around 3 hectares (7.4 acres) before being brought under control following the deployment of ground crews and aerial firefighting resources.

A second fire remained active near the Grand Parquet equestrian center, where around 50 firefighters from the Seine-et-Marne department were battling what local fire services described as a "significant flare-up" along the edge of the area affected by the previous wildfire.

Firefighters from the neighboring Yvelines and Essonne departments were also deployed, supported by a helicopter.

According to the Fontainebleau municipality, temperatures of around 33C (91.4F) on Wednesday contributed to the renewed fire activity by leaving the forest floor extremely hot.

Authorities said the ongoing fire was not raising concerns at this stage as emergency services worked to prevent it from spreading further.

The Fontainebleau Forest wildfire this month burned nearly 2,200 hectares (5,437 acres) of forest in just two days. It also prompted the first deployment of Canadair water-bombing aircraft in the Paris region.

French authorities have recorded more than 13,500 wildfire outbreaks since the beginning of the year, with around 116,000 hectares (286,700 acres) burned nationwide, already surpassing the country's previous record set in 2022.

The ongoing Gironde megafire, which has burned about 42,000 hectares (103,784 acres) since July 22, has become one of the largest wildfires recorded in mainland France in recent decades.