French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday said there would be "zero tolerance" for arson after France was hit by wildfires that have scorched thousands of hectares.
Dozens of people have been arrested across the country over starting fires deliberately or by accident as France has sweltered through multiple intense heatwaves since May that have fuelled dry conditions.
Around 35,000 hectares have been impacted by fires -- more than during the entire 2025 fire season, according to authorities.
France "has never faced so many outbreaks of fire across the country since the end of World War II", Macron said during a visit to the historic Fontainebleau forest near Paris that has seen more than 2,000 hectares hit by fires since July 5th.
"Here, as everywhere else in France, there will be zero tolerance" for arsonists "because it is, of course, our national territory that is under attack every time a fire breaks out", Macron added.
