A 19-year-old volunteer firefighter has admitted setting the wildfire that scorched large parts of France’s Fontainebleau forest, shocking emergency crews who described the alleged act as a betrayal of the public.
The suspect, who has no previous criminal record, told investigators he used gasoline and a lighter to ignite dry vegetation. Authorities have not yet disclosed a motive.
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Firefighters battle the flames in France on Tuesday after 20,500 dunams burned
(Photo: Dimitar DILKOFF / AFP)
Local fire services said they were in “deep shock” over the confession and immediately suspended him.
“If confirmed, this would constitute a betrayal of the public we protect and of the fundamental values of the firefighting service,” they said.
The blaze erupted in the former royal forest about 60 kilometers southeast of Paris and burned roughly 20,500 dunams before authorities brought the main flames under control.
(Photo: REUTERS/Stephane Mahe)
A cyclist watches smoke rise as additional fires force road closures, including the A6 between Paris and Lyon
(Photo: Pierre Crom/Getty Images)
(Photo: Franck DESPREZ / SDIS 77 / AFP)
Around 800 firefighters remained deployed Wednesday to extinguish smoldering material and prevent fresh outbreaks.
Officials warned that the forest’s peat-rich soil could allow so-called zombie fires to keep burning beneath the surface for days or weeks before reappearing far from the original ignition point.
(Photo: Dimitar DILKOFF / AFP)
Smoke rises from the forest near the UNESCO World Heritage sit
(Photo: Handout / COPERNICUS SENTINEL DATA 2026 / AFP)
The fire reached areas close to the Palace of Fontainebleau, the UNESCO-listed residence associated with French monarchs from Francis I to Napoleon III and particularly favored by Napoleon Bonaparte.
It also forced the closure of the A6 highway linking Paris with Lyon and southern France, while smaller fires disrupted high-speed rail traffic.
Five other suspects were arrested in connection with fires in the region. One reportedly admitted causing another blaze by throwing away a lit cigarette.
France is experiencing one of its worst fire years on record, with drought and repeated heat waves contributing to widespread outbreaks.