French officials on Monday warned of the threat from wildfires burning south of Paris, as reports emerged to suggest that the blaze may have been started deliberately.
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez is leading a response that involves fire crews using tanker aircraft to spray water and retardant to slow the spread of the flames. Authorities have ordered residents of affected areas to shelter in place.
“There were about 10 spots where the fire started within a 1,000-metre radius, which suggests that it could have been set intentionally,” Mr Nunez said. “We are hopeful that we will be able to contain the fire today … [but] it will take several days or even several weeks to fully extinguish the fire.”
According to emergency services, fires of this magnitude are rare in the Ile-de-France region. Wildfires have covered about 320 square kilometres in France so far this year, about twice the area affected by this time last year.
France was hit by sabotage two years ago at the opening of the Olympic Games, when fires were set along railway lines leading into and out of the capital.
The main fire front is just 70km from Paris. The blaze forced the closure of the A6 motorway linking the capital with Lyon and the south. Smaller fires in the area also disrupted high-speed rail services.
European wildfires
Europe's wildfire season started early this year and has intensified in recent weeks, as high temperatures and low rainfall made it easier for flames to spread rapidly.
Firefighters in Spain worked through the weekend to battle one of the deadliest wildfires in the country's history, which has killed at least 13 people and burnt through about 70 square kilometres near Almeria. Crews on Sunday were able to contain the fire, along with others burning near Aiguamurcia and Camarasa in Catalonia.
In Britain, fire crews battled blazes across England over the weekend, and on Monday were still working to contain a major wildfire in North Wales.
A fire in Walthamstow, north-eastern London, spread from a railway embankment to burn a house and several gardens, forcing authorities to stop trains and evacuate passengers.
Heatwaves in Europe are forecast to ease by midweek as extreme temperatures move eastward. Average temperatures are set to be between 3°C and 9°C above normal levels in Britain, France, Germany, Italy and southern Scandinavia by the end of the week.
