Wildfire Burning at Famous Fontainebleau Forest

Wildfires continue to burn the Forest of Fontainebleau, one of the world’s most iconic bouldering destinations and a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve located around 70 kilometres southeast of Paris. The forest is home to famous biodiversity, with approximately 5,000 plant species and 6,600 known animal species, while attracting climbers from around the world to its famous sandstone boulders. The fires, which began on Sunday afternoon during an unprecedented heatwave, have now burned more than 2,050 hectares, forcing authorities to close the forest to all visitors until further notice.

According to French climbing website PlanetGrimpe, several well-known climbing and surrounding areas have been affected, including Barbizon, Achères-la-Forêt, Le Vaudoué, Noisy-sur-École, Les Écrennes and Fontainebleau itself. The site confirmed that access to the Fontainebleau forest is prohibited until further notice following an order from the Seine-et-Marne Prefecture. The cause of the fires remains under investigation, with authorities probing whether they were started deliberately. French police have arrested two people on suspicion of arson.

People have been climbing in Fontainebleau for over 100 years. In the late 1800s, the Club Alpin Français was using the forest as a training ground for alpine climbing. Many of the boulders are named after the climbers from the beginning of the 20th century, including Prestat, Wehrlin, Maunoury, Gaché, Labour, Paillon, Souverain, and the famous Pierre Allain, the inventor of the first climbing specific shoe: the PA. The first guidebook was published in 1945, written by Maurice Martin. And in 1984, French climber Jacky Godoffe established the first 8A (V11) in Fontainebleau when he climbed C’était demain at Cuvier Rempart.

Nearly 1,000 firefighters, supported by water-bombing aircraft and helicopters, are battling two major fires in the Fontainebleau area. Around 1,000 residents have been evacuated from nearby communities, while authorities remain hopeful the blazes can be brought under control as weather conditions improve. “With the help of the Canadair aircraft, in particular, that should be a goal we hope is achievable,” said fire service spokesman Paul-Edouard Laurain.

“A fire risk index at the ‘very extreme’ level, a direct consequence of three successive heatwaves and extreme drought,” PlanetGrimpe wrote. It added that Fontainebleau’s Scots pines, ferns and heather, combined with sandy soils that retain little water, around 15 million annual visitors and the effects of climate change, have created “a ticking time bomb.” The website also pointed to the increasing accumulation of dead vegetation as additional fuel for fast-moving fires.

Climbers planning trips to Fonteainebleau should respect the current closure and continue to monitor official updates as firefighters work to contain the blaze.

Adam Ondra’s Fontainebleau Boulder Tour

Font Climbing in 1930s

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