South of Paris, flames tore through the UNESCO-listed Fontainebleau forest on Sunday, consuming over 1,300 hectares of woodland as France sweltered through its third heatwave in three months. The blaze forced the evacuation of roughly 1,000 residents and disrupted holiday travel on a long weekend that included Bastille Day. Main Developments Four Canadair aircraft, two Dash planes, and three water-bombing helicopters were deployed to fight the flames. By Monday evening, about 600 firefighters remained on the ground, rotating shifts to contain the fire, according to rescue operations commander Jean-Marc Sicard. The wildfire erupted Sunday in the sprawling Fontainebleau, a former royal hunting estate about 60km southeast of Paris. It spread rapidly as the region endured another heatwave, forcing evacuations and halting rail and road traffic during the busy holiday period. Read also: 3 Iranian port cities hit as US strikes escalate Hormuz crisis Background France has faced three heatwaves in less than three months, with fires burning in multiple regions over the past week. The country recorded more than 2,000 excess deaths during the June heatwave and 300 during high temperatures in late May, according to official figures. Since the start of 2026, wildfires have scorched about 25,000 hectares of land across France, said Julien Marion, director general of civil security, on Friday. Scientists link the increasing frequency of such extreme weather events to human-driven climate change. Why It Matters The Fontainebleau fire is not an isolated event but a symptom of a broader pattern. France's repeated heatwaves and escalating wildfire damage are straining emergency services and threatening lives, as demonstrated by the excess death tolls. The loss of a UNESCO biosphere reserve underscores the ecological toll. For residents and travelers, the disruption of a major holiday weekend highlights how climate-driven disasters are increasingly colliding with daily life. The economic and human costs are mounting, with no immediate relief in sight. What's Next Temperatures are expected to remain high through Tuesday's Bastille Day holiday, according to Meteo-France. Firefighting efforts will continue, with crews working to fully contain the blaze and prevent further spread. The broader question—whether France can adapt to a future of more frequent and intense wildfires—remains open.