‘Our national lung’: France’s nature paradise saved by firefighters but recovery could take 30 years
Flora and fauna thrive in the Fontainebleau forest, 60 kilometres southeast of Paris, where moorland and pine trees cloak hills, valleys and gorges. Its unique temperate Atlantic climate with pockets of...
Flora and fauna thrive in the Fontainebleau forest, 60 kilometres southeast of Paris, where moorland and pine trees cloak hills, valleys and gorges.
Its unique temperate Atlantic climate with pockets of Mediterranean microclimates supports 6,600 animal species and 5,800 plant species typical to both southern and northern Europe – from rare purple orchids to the protected Service tree of Fontainebleau.
Red deer, wild boars, European badgers and red squirrels roam its diverse terrain, with over 250 types of birds – from tawny owls to woodpeckers – soaring overhead.
Beneath the forest floor debris scuttle 5,000 insect species, including the protected Stag beetle.
All of this natural heritage came under threat on Sunday when two huge fires engulfed more than 2,000 hectares of the 25,000-hectare forest. 1,000 residents and campers have been forced to evacuate as a precautionary measure.
Hundreds of firefighters are battling the blazes around the clock, deploying Canadair aircraft to scoop water directly from the Seine – the first time such aircraft have been used in the greater Paris region. Backed by Dash planes and helicopters, crews have now contained both fires, though authorities warn it could still take days or weeks to fully extinguish the smouldering flames.
‘My heart is sad the forest burns’
At least two people are in custody on suspicion of arson, with the wildfires made worse by the exceptional heatwave currently gripping the region.
“My heart is sad the forest burns… I think of the animals who live in the forest,” one Facebook user commented on Tuesday. “I lived 22 km from Fontainebleau in my youth for 40 years, and I liked to go for a walk in the forest and visit the Château de Fontainebleau.” The 1,500-room, UNESCO World Heritage-listed royal palace, which was spared the flames, was built in 1528 and is considered the seat of the French Renaissance.
In 1948, it hosted a UNESCO conference that resulted in the creation of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the world’s first global environmental union.
Inside the historic French forest engulfed by wildfires
Prized as a royal hunting ground from the 10th to the 19th centuries, Fontainebleau has evolved into a haven for outdoor enthusiasts.
Up to 15 million visitors flock there each year to hike, cycle, horseride and rockclimb – hoping to bask in the beauty described by the artists and writers who came before them, from Rousseau to Flaubert.
In fact, France’s second largest forest can even be considered the birthplace of nature tourism: French author Claude François Denecourt, enchanted by its beauty, created the world’s first marked rambling trails there in 1842.
Saddened to witness its destruction, visitors have taken to social media to express their support for firefighting efforts.
“Support and thoughts go out to the firefighters from Quebec! On this day last year, we visited this beautiful place, may God preserve it,” says one Facebook user.
Locals are equally heartbroken by the scenes of flames ravaging the ancient woodland.
“It's a bit of our history of our heritage going up in smoke, what will be left in a few years?”, says one.
“Like many French people, we are shocked because this forest is one of our national lungs. It’s sad to see this magnificent forest where I used to walk with my family as a child,” adds another.
Some visitors, reacting to the fire, have called for hunting to be suspended or banned on the historic grounds to give wildlife time to recover – though forest managers note that regulated culls also play a role in preventing deer and boar overpopulation, which can itself damage forest regeneration.
“I hope with everything that hunts are suspended for a long time and ideally forever so nature has time to rebuild,” says one Facebook user.
“Sad thoughts for these poor animals who lose their lives in horrific suffering. I hope hunting is banned in these places,” adds another.
An exceptional wildfire season fuelled by climate change
Like much of western Europe, France has sweltered through a series of unusually early heatwaves this summer, which would have been “virtually impossible” without climate change, according to analysis by scientists at World Weather Attribution (WWA).
This extreme heat is fuelling wildfires across the continent, with 32,000 hectares hit across France since the start of 2026 – already more than the entire 2025 fire season.
Blazes are increasingly cropping up in historically cooler northern regions, as warming caused by the burning of fossil fuels drives global temperatures up to historic highs.
Regeneration at Fontainebleau will be a long process. Stefan Doerr, director of the Centre for Wildfire Research at Swansea University, told France 24 that the forest could take up to 30 years to recover from the damage.
“We need to prepare the environment more to reduce the risk of fire,” he said, “but we will never eliminate it completely”.
With its sandy floor that struggles to retain water and progressively deteriorating tree health, Fontainebleau is particularly vulnerable to climate change, wildfires and drought – risks that have led foresters to double down on protection efforts.
This includes planting 60,000 new seedlings each winter, including drought-resistant species. But as the risk of fires intensifies, tradeoffs may need to be made – including clearing decaying debris that’s intentionally left in place to support biodiversity.
