Waterbombing aircraft skimmed the river Seine as firefighters struggled to contain a forest blaze south of Paris raging into its third day on Tuesday (July 14) amid a spreading heatwave that has left swathes of Europe primed for more wildfires.

French firefighters battled through the night to tackle the blaze that tore through the historic forest of Fontainebleau, home to one of France's best-known royal palaces. At least two people were arrested on suspicion of having started the fire.

As France battled flames, the third bout of extreme heat this season that is also affecting Britain and Spain continued its progression into Italy, where authorities were bracing for temperatures reaching 44 degrees Celsius (111.2 degrees Fahrenheit) in Sardinia this week.

According to the Reuters Climate Monitor, the average high of temperatures across Western Europe was 29.4 C on Tuesday, 6.3 C higher than the seasonal average high for July 14 recorded between 1961 and 1990. The difference was most pronounced in Belgium and France, with seasonal highs deviating by as much as 9.4 C and 9.1 C.

Scientists say climate change is making such events more frequent and intense, leaving forests and scrubland across the continent primed to burn.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

Drone shows wildfire-scorched forest near Paris as firefighters battle blaze

VIDEO SHOWS: DRONE FOOTAGE IN FOREST NEAR FONTAINEBLEAU SHOWING DAMAGE FROM WILDFIRE, FIREFIGHTERS TACKLING BLAZE, CANADAIR PLANES RESTOCKING WITH WATER FROM SEINE RIVER

RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT

SHOWS: LE VAUDOUE, FRANCE (JULY 14, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all) (MUTE)

1. VARIOUS DRONE FOOTAGE SHOWING SMOKE RISING FROM GROUND IN FOREST HIT BY WILDFIRE

LE VAUDOUE, FRANCE (JULY 14, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all)

2. FIREFIGHTER SPRAYING WATER ON FLAMES

3. VARIOUS OF FIREFIGHTERS SPRAYING WATER ON GROUND

4. FLAMES BURNING ON STUMP OF TREE

5. SMOKE AND FLAMES RISING / FIREFIGHTER LOOKING ON

6. VARIOUS OF FIREFIGHTERS TACKLING FIRE

7. FIREFIGHTERS DRAGGING HOSE INTO FOREST

8. FIREFIGHTERS STANDING BY FIRE ENGINES

9. FIRE ENGINES ON ROAD IN FOREST

IVRY-SUR-SEINE, FRANCE (JULY 14, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all)

10. VARIOUS OF CANADAIRS FLYING OVER SEINE RIVER TO FILL UP ON WATER