PARIS: Hundreds of French firefighters aided by water bombers on Tuesday battled to control wildfires that have ravaged a hugely popular forest outside Paris. The sprawling Fontainebleau forest, around 60 kilometres southeast of the capital, is a former royal hunting ground that now draws hikers, nature lovers and climbers who come from around the world to tackle its famous boulders.
The fires, which erupted on Sunday, have scorched around 2,050 hectares — an area roughly three times the size of Gibraltar, firefighters said on Tuesday. With around 850 firefighters battling the flames with the help of specialised Canadair aircraft, authorities are hoping to control the fires during the day — France's national day.
France is sweltering in the third major heatwave in less than two months, with Paris expected to see temperatures of 35C on Tuesday and a slight respite only expected later in the week. Firefighters are battling two main fires, including one in the La Faisanderie area, usually thronged with visitors in summer, not far from the town of Fontainebleau. — AFP
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