RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 2 sourcesVisitors walk into the Fontainebleau forest from the Fontainebleau Avon rail station, near Avon, in the Paris Ile-de-France region on Aug 22.
The Fontainebleau forest near Paris reopened 80% of its area after a July wildfire scorched 10% of the land, attracting climbers and walkers once again. Around 20% remains closed due to fire risks, with firefighters still extinguishing hotspots and warnings against entering restricted zones. Officials urge visitors to follow paths and ban barbecues to prevent new fires amid ongoing heatwaves and drought conditions in France. AI generated
FONTAINEBLEAU, France - A hugely popular forest outside Paris reopened to the public on Aug 22 after being partially ravaged by a wildfire in July which forced the closure of the beloved nature oasis.
Although part of the Fontainebleau forest remains off limits for now, 80 per cent of the area has reopened and large groups of walkers, rock climbers and other outdoor enthusiasts flocked to the woods to take advantage of the late summer sun.
The sprawling forest, around 60km south-east of the Fernch capital, is a particular magnet for climbers who come from around the world to tackle its famous boulders.
“It’s a return to the good old habits,” said Gilles Moutounet, a 59-year-old retail executive who spends most of his weekends climbing in Fontainebleau.
A few metres away, on another boulder, a retired couple dressed in green were also defying the laws of gravity.
Stefano Rosso, nearly 70 and accompanied by his wife, has been visiting the forest’s climbing sites for 30 years.
The couple travelled here from the Italian city of Turin.
While holidaying in the region, they made the trip over first thing in the morning. “We’re happy for ourselves, of course, but also for the community and local businesses,” he said.
Public access had been restricted since a wildfire in July scorched some 2,000ha – around 10 per cent of the former royal hunting ground.
Within the roughly 4,000ha restricted area – half of which was directly affected by the flames, with the remainder serving as a buffer zone – “firefighters are out every day extinguishing hotspots,” said Benoit Kaplan, a deputy prefect of the Seine-et-Marne department.
Some 20 per cent of the forest is still off limits – made clear by signs reading “Access Prohibited” – with many burnt trees still at risk of falling.
Forest worker Julien Vabre was only too aware of the dangers of the lifting the closure.
“Unfortunately, we know that reopening means campfires,” he told AFP.
“We know people will walk near the prohibited zone. The temptation to go in out of curiosity, or to take photos, will be strong.”
Kaplan urged visitors to stick to the designated walking paths, with barbecues and smoking prohibited to prevent vegetation severely parched by successive heatwaves from catching fire.
France has been hit by three heatwaves in quick succession during a historically hot European summer that has seen widespread drought and wildfires fuelled by global warming. AFP
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