‘My heart is on fire’: Fontainebleau forest blaze leaves community reeling
Wildfires have scorched roughly 2,050 hectares of the famed Fontainebleau forest southeast of Paris since breaking out Sunday, forcing around 1,000 people to evacuate as some 850 firefighters work to contain the two ongoing blazes, backed by water-bomber planes and helicopters.
Officials hope to bring the fires under control on Tuesday, though earlier efforts were hampered by the heat, wind and dry conditions. The fires were believed to be started intentionally. Two people, including an 18-year-old with no prior record, have been arrested on suspicion of arson.
Amid a third major heatwave to hit France in under two months, the fire has ravaged a forest beloved by hikers and climbers and that draws millions of visitors from around the world.
FRANCE 24 spoke to inhabitants who have witnessed the devastation first-hand.
'He grabbed as many photo albums as he could'
"In the beginning we didn't know what was happening or how to respond. My husband was out in the garden and it started to smell like smoke. He was worried something was happening so he went up to our attic to get a better view and he saw a huge fire on the horizon."
Antonia Mehnert and her family moved from Germany to the Fontainebleau area four years ago. Her husband grew up in the area and his parents live in Vaudoué, a village less than 10 minutes from one of the ongoing blazes in Noisy-sur-École.
Vaudoué has now been evacuated and luckily for Mehnert's parents-in-law, they were visiting family in the Alps when the fire broke out.
“It quickly became clear the fire was getting close to where his parents live. My husband drove over there and thought about all the things they would want to keep, so he grabbed as many photo albums as he could for his mother and the accordion his father plays.
“Luckily, most of the houses have not been affected so far but it's crazy that we are asking ourselves which objects we value the most in case we have to leave.”
For now, Mehnert and her family are able to stay in their home. But because of the smoke, it is too dangerous to go outside, so they are staying indoors.
Although French authorities have stated that the fire is no longer spreading, firefighters are still working hard to contain it completely.
Having worked as an environmental education expert her whole life, Mehnert has always been convinced that if people are connected to nature, they will be more inclined to protect it.
“Fontainebleau is a magical place. I have a lot of friends from Germany who come and visit. Every time we take them to the forest, they're amazed by the beauty of it. We also have a lot of friends from the climbing community who come. It truly is a local wonder that is known internationally.
“I'm quite scared to go out and see what the forest has become. We won't be able to recognise what has been our backyard for the past years. We're in shock.”
Watch 'It's a monster': FRANCE 24 speaks to resident evacuated due to the Fontainebleau fire
'The forest will never be the same again'
Not a day goes by without Apolline setting foot in the forest of Fontainebleau. The 40-year-old sports instructor and Nordic walking coach lives in Bourron-Marlotte, a town about 10 kilometres from one of the fires scorching the area. By bike or by foot, she knows the forest like the back of her hand. “I was practically born in the forest. I spent my whole childhood running around the Beatrix Cave and the Plaine Verte.”
Apolline was celebrating her birthday with her family on Sunday afternoon when she spotted smoke in the sky. “I saw an enormous plume of smoke rising in the distance across the fields. I started checking social media and I haven't stopped scrolling since. I'll never forget that day.
“The spots in the forest that have been devastated by the fire are some of the most majestic with truly sublime views. They are where I take my Nordic walking groups. The blue footpath was carved out all the way back at the start of the century by a forest lover named Sylvain Colinet and takes you through corridors and labyrinths tucked between the most beautiful boulders. Those rocks will still be there, but they will be different,” she says, just as two firefighter planes roar over her house. “The forest will never be the same again.”
The area that burnt down was teeming with remarkable trees, says the woman who knows the “best-kept secrets” of the forest that attracts between 15 and 18 million visitors each year.
Since Sunday, Apolline has been glued to her phone in case the village mayor sends out a call for volunteers to lend a hand. “I'm on high alert like everyone else here, but I feel useless as a civilian.” The wait makes her nervous. By her side, her 10-year-old daughter Flore chimes in. “Tell the person on the phone that my heart is on fire,” the little girl says. Apolline steps away and admits that she is trying to stay as calm as possible: “I don't want her to feel my anxiety, but it's hard.”
Watch Fontainebleau forest could take decades to recover after wildfire, expert says
A 'playground' in flames
“I had the shutters closed to protect the house from the sun on Sunday afternoon when a neighbour called me and told me to open them up. He said he thought there was a real problem. That's when I saw huge plumes of smoke.”
Hugues lives in Milly-la-Forêt, a town just outside Fontainebleau, with his wife and two children. Their house is less than a 20-minute drive from both of the ongoing fires that have been ravaging the historic forest for the past three days.
“There was still very little information at the time and it was hard to figure out what was going on. I couldn't tell if the fire was 500 metres or 10 kilometres away. I started calling friends in the area to check on them, see if they were alright.”
The 42-year-old consultant moved to the area five years ago so that his children could grow up closer to nature. Once settled, Hugues and his family quickly joined local organisations invested in the conservation of Fontainebleau and its surrounding environment.
For now, Hugues and his family have not been evacuated. And for those more directly affected by the fires, their house has been a refuge. “People living in Noisy-sur-Ecole [one of two sites where the fires are ongoing] came to stay with us when they couldn't stand the smoke anymore. We also welcomed an exhausted volunteer for a few hours, just so they could take their mind off things.
“I haven't had an emotional reaction to the fires yet. Though I think it will come this afternoon when I will help out with lookout efforts. The National Forests Office has asked volunteers to lend a hand and we will be stationed across several areas that haven't been burned yet. I'm worried about driving to the meet-up point and seeing the devastation on my way there.
“For myself and my children, Fontainebleau is not only a source of beauty and freshness, it is a playground. That is also true for the thousands of people who come here from all over the world to climb the forest boulders. And while I feel I know it quite well, we keep discovering new places within the forest – caverns, rock paintings, engravings. It is infinite. My only wish was that the next 15 years would continue to be a journey of discovery. Now I don't know what the future holds.”