France has been battling two wildfires that have scorched more than 1,300 hectares of forest south of Paris, in the Fontainebleau region. The blaze started on Sunday and continued through Monday.

Aircraft and firefighters worked around the clock to bring the flames under control. Fontainebleau, a former royal hunting estate, is now a UNESCO biosphere reserve.

The wildfire spread rapidly amid a heatwave, disrupting rail and road traffic during a long holiday weekend. About 1,000 people were evacuated.

Four Canadair aircraft, two Dash planes, and three water-bombing helicopters were deployed. By Monday evening, 600 firefighters remained mobilized.

France is experiencing its third heatwave in less than three months. Scientists link such extreme weather to human-driven climate change. The June heatwave caused over 2,000 excess deaths.

Since the start of the year, wildfires have burned about 25,000 hectares in France. High temperatures are expected to continue through Bastille Day on Tuesday.

Source: www.aljazeera.com