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Two arrested over Fontainebleau forest fire near Paris as blaze spreads
France’s interior minister said the fire had about 10 ignition points within 1,000 metres, and by Monday afternoon it had spread across nearly 1,000 hectares.
France’s interior minister said two people were arrested in connection with a wildfire in the Fontainebleau forest near Paris, with the arrests part of a wider investigation into arson linked to fires across the country. According to SCMP Economy, Laurent Nunez said a total of 59 arrests were made over “deliberate or accidental arson.”
Nunez told France2 that investigators identified about 10 ignition points within a 1,000-metre perimeter, a pattern he said suggests the blaze could have been deliberately set, SCMP Economy reported. The fire broke out on Sunday in the forest about 60 km southeast of the capital.
The wildfire, rare in northern France, spread quickly during the latest heatwave and moved into a Unesco biosphere reserve, disrupting rail and road traffic over a busy holiday travel weekend, according to SCMP Economy. By Monday afternoon, the blaze had covered almost 1,000 hectares, an area larger than Gibraltar.
The growing fire forced some residents to leave their homes in the normally quiet Fontainebleau area, SCMP Economy said. The incident highlights the risks for transport and local economies during peak summer travel as temperatures remain high.