Paris wildfire may have been deliberately set, says minister

A fast-moving wildfire tearing through forests south of Paris is being treated as a possible arson attack, France’s interior minister announced Wednesday, as two people were taken into custody in connection with the blaze.

Fire spreads rapidly through dry terrain

The fire broke out in the Essonne department, roughly 40 kilometres south of the French capital, and spread with alarming speed through parched woodland. Hundreds of hectares of forest have already been consumed. Firefighters deployed more than 300 personnel to combat the blaze, with water-bombing aircraft making repeated runs throughout the day. Strong winds and weeks of unusually dry weather created near-ideal conditions for the fire to take hold.

It’s the kind of situation that France has been dreading since last summer’s catastrophic fires across the southwest.

Minister raises alarm over possible arson

Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin told reporters on Wednesday afternoon that investigators hadn’t ruled out deliberate ignition. “We have elements that suggest this fire may have been set intentionally,” a spokesperson for the ministry said, stopping short of confirming the cause outright. Two individuals were arrested near the suspected origin point of the blaze, though officials were careful to note that no formal charges had yet been filed.

So the question of motive remains wide open. But the arrests alone have sent a chill through local communities already watching the smoke billowing over the treeline.

Evacuations and disruption for local residents

At least four villages in the affected zone were placed under evacuation orders by early Wednesday evening, with local authorities estimating around 1,200 residents forced to leave their homes. Several roads were closed, and a section of rail line running south from Paris was briefly suspended as smoke reduced visibility. Emergency shelters were opened in the town of Étampes, where displaced families gathered throughout the afternoon.

Local prefect officials said they expected the evacuation orders to remain in place at least through Thursday morning, depending on wind conditions overnight. Still, some residents refused to leave, preferring to stay and protect their properties.

What happens next

French prosecutors in Évry-Courcouronnes have opened a preliminary investigation into the cause of the fire. If arson is confirmed, those responsible could face up to 15 years in prison under French law — and potentially longer if the destruction is deemed to have endangered human lives.

And while firefighters made some progress containing the blaze on its northern flank by Wednesday night, they warned that Thursday’s forecast — with temperatures expected to climb back above 35°C and winds picking up from the southwest — could undo much of that work.

France has invested heavily in wildfire prevention since the devastating 2022 fires in Gironde destroyed over 70,000 hectares. Yet incidents like this one serve as a brutal reminder that no amount of preparation entirely removes the threat — especially when the fire may have had human help getting started.