Large forest fire breaks out south of Paris with possible deliberate cause

A large wildfire broke out on 12 July in the Fontainebleau forest, about 60 kilometres from Paris. By the next morning, it had burned through 800 hectares of woodland. France's Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said the fire may have been started deliberately. Big forest fires are unusual in northern France, so this event has shocked many people. Firefighting planes dropped water on the flames, the first time such aircraft have been used near Paris for this purpose. Local farmers helped by bringing water to the scene. The fire forced people to leave their homes in the area. Part of the A6 motorway, a major road south of Paris, was closed on 13 July. A heatwave made conditions worse and helped the fire spread quickly.