2 arrested over Fontainebleau forest fire near Paris, interior minister says

France’s interior minister on Monday said two people had been arrested in connection to a fire in the Fontainebleau forest near Paris.

The arrests were among a total of 59 made across the country for “deliberate or accidental arson”, Laurent Nunez said on France2 television, as the country battles wildfires and swelters through its latest heatwave.

“There were about 10 fire ignition points within a perimeter of 1,000 metres, which suggests that it could have been deliberately set,” Nunez said.

The fire erupted on Sunday in the sprawling forest, about 60 km (40 miles) southeast of the capital, a former royal hunting preserve that today is dotted with quiet villages.

As the region sweltered through its latest heatwave, the wildfire – rare in the north of the country – quickly spread across the Unesco biosphere reserve, disrupting rail and road traffic during a busy holiday travel weekend.

By Monday afternoon the fire had raced across almost 1,000 hectares (over 2,470 acres) – an area larger than Gibraltar – forcing some residents from their homes in the normally quiet, peaceful forest.