After Fontainebleau forest fires, artists and naturalists rally for rebirth of this 'natural monument'

Laurent Corvaisier Opinion Opinion Opinion Fires Fires Fires After Fontainebleau forest fires, artists and naturalists rally for rebirth of this 'natural monument' By Nicolas Truong Published today at 8:30 pm (Paris) 14 min read Lire en français Subscribers only Make us preferred on Google share Share on Messenger Share on Facebook Share by email Share on Linkedin Copy link Investigation As early as the 19th century, intellectuals, including writer George Sand, sought to preserve the forest.

Today, they have once again begun imagining a future for this landmark of environmentalist struggle, nearly 10% of which burned in July. The landscape looks like the moon's surface. Charred tree trunks, scorched leaves and rocks resembling crater debris. In the burned areas, the Fontainebleau Forest, about 60 kilometers south of Paris, shifted from color to black and white. The black of the charred pines; the white of the abraded sandstone boulders.

In July, nearly 10% of France's most visited forest went up in smoke. Located between Achères-la-Forêt and Noisy-sur-Ecole, the Trois-Pignons Forest was the largest area affected by fire, with 1,343 hectares burned after a blaze broke out on July 12, caused by maintenance work on the A6 highway. Near Fontainebleau, in the La Faisanderie area of the forest, home to the local headquarters of France's National Forestry Office (NFO), a second fire that broke out on July 13 devastated another 617 hectares.

The impact on this popular outdoor destination is considerable. Most of the Trois-Pignons Forest, whose "sand sea" draws hundreds of families from the Paris region on weekends, will remain closed until September 2027. The "25 bumps" trail, a favorite among runners and trail enthusiasts, remains impassable, as do the rock faces shaped like turtles or elephants, beneath which climbers from across Europe set up crash pads along sought-after routes.

The same is true for the affected areas opposite La Faisanderie. Along the roads that cut through the forest, the devastation is sometimes visible. "Nature is disappearing," wrote the novelist George Sand (1804-1876) in 1872, with a sense of foreboding, in a famous article in Le Temps defending this forest, already threatened by drought, logging and the planting of conifers. She called it a "natural monument" and described it as "one of the most beautiful things in the world."

Even today, many artists and intellectuals have made their homes around the forest, seeking more space just an hour from Paris and connecting with like-minded communities or collectives dedicated to preserving forest biodiversity. You have 90.98% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only.