Fondation du Patrimoine launches emergency appeal after Fontainebleau forest fire

A major wildfire broke out in the historic Forest of Fontainebleau on Sunday, July 12, 2026, burning nearly 2,000 hectares in three days. France has already seen over 30,000 hectares destroyed by fire by mid-July 2026, surpassing the catastrophic total of the previous summer. The Fondation de France and the Fondation du Patrimoine have launched an emergency fundraising appeal, collecting more than €96,000 so far. The funds will support immediate firefighting efforts, post-fire diagnostics, and restoration of affected areas, in collaboration with local actors and the Office National des Forêts (ONF). The Forest of Fontainebleau, a unique biological reservoir in Western Europe, became the world's first protected natural site in 1861 thanks to the advocacy of the Barbizon School painters. The appeal draws a parallel to the national mobilization after the Notre-Dame de Paris fire, now shifting focus to natural heritage.