Arson arrests as Paris-Lyon highway closed by wildfires
Suspected arson near Paris has forced the closure of a key trade and travel route to southern France, disrupting high-speed rail and road links.
Two people have been arrested on suspicion of deliberately starting a wildfire near Paris that has forced the closure of a major transport artery. The blaze began in the Fontainebleau forest on Sunday, followed by a second fire the next day. Firefighters have deployed Canadair planes to scoop water from the River Seine as they battle the flames, which have burned over 1,300 hectares and forced 900 residents to evacuate.
French interior minister Laurent Nunez said the fire was not under control late on Monday. Investigators are treating the blaze as deliberate after identifying multiple origins. “There were around ten points where the fire started within a 1,000-metre radius, which suggests it may have been started deliberately,” Mr Nunez told reporters.
The fires have directly disrupted French commerce and regional mobility. Authorities shut down the A6 highway, the primary road linking Paris with Lyon and southern France, located just 70km from the capital. Smaller fires in the surrounding area have also caused disruptions to high-speed train services, adding pressure on alternative routes.
These arrests are part of a wider security and emergency response challenge during a brutal heatwave. Police have detained 59 people nationwide on suspicion of starting fires, split evenly between adults and minors, with some being repeat offenders. So far this year, an estimated 32,000 hectares of French land has been scorched. The fires have claimed at least 13 lives, mostly foreign nationals.
The economic and human toll extends across the continent, highlighting Europe's growing vulnerability to extreme weather. In Spain, Malcolm Timbrell, 70, saw his home in the village of Bédar burn to the ground. His wife Annettee Kilgore, 69, and 12 friends are feared dead. “She was such a happy, outgoing person. We have had an amazing life together - and now it's stopped,” Mr Timbrell said.
Scientists have warned that the climate crisis, exacerbated by the burning of fossil fuels, is making certain regions more vulnerable to wildfires. For governments and businesses, the escalating fires represent a recurring threat to infrastructure, supply chains, and public safety.
