Fontainebleau forest ravaged by flames: Emmanuel Macron launches a 2 million euro fundraising campaign

After the fires that swept through nearly 2,000 hectares in the Fontainebleau forest, Emmanuel Macron announced the creation of a one-stop shop to collect funds to restore the mountain range after this catastropheThe campaign, open to individuals, businesses and communities, includes an initial emergency funding target of 2 million euros.

A single point of contact to centralize donations

The President presented this initiative yesterday during his visit to the operational command post set up in Noisy-sur-École, Seine-et-Marne. The project is jointly managed by the Heritage Foundation, the National Forestry Office, and the city of Fontainebleau. "The Heritage Foundation, the ONF (National Forestry Office) and the city of Fontainebleau will launch, in the coming hours, a one-stop shop to collect national solidarity funds."“This is a crucial step,” declared Emmanuel Macron to the firefighters, law enforcement, and local officials who have been mobilized since the start of the fires. The funds raised will finance immediate rescue and safety operations, followed by the necessary restoration work in the affected areas. It will also support biodiversity protection and the adaptation of the mountain range to droughts, fires, and other consequences of climate change.

An initial target set at 2 million euros

The first target for the national fundraising campaign has been set at €2 million. This sum will allow for the most urgent interventions, including securing the plots, assessing the condition of the trees, protecting natural habitats, and preparing for future regeneration operations. The campaign also involves the Seine-et-Marne department, the Île-de-France region, the Pays de Fontainebleau urban community, and the Château de Fontainebleau. The operations will be carried out under the responsibility of specialists from the French National Forestry Office (ONF). The plots will not necessarily be replanted immediately. The condition of the soil, the capacity for natural regeneration, and the damage sustained by each area will first need to be studied. When planting is necessary, the species chosen must be better adapted to droughts, high temperatures, and the increasing risk of fire.

Nearly 2,000 hectares ravaged by flames

The two main fires burned nearly 2,000 hectares. The fire that broke out in the Noisy-sur-École and Trois-Pignons area affected approximately 1,500 hectares, while the Faisanderie fire in Fontainebleau burned nearly 450 hectares. The fires were contained on Tuesday, July 14, but monitoring continued due to the risk of flare-ups. Firefighting operations, edge management, and containment of hotspots mobilized hundreds of firefighters for several days. At the height of the crisis, approximately 1,000 firefighters from several departments were deployed. Civil Security personnel and Paris firefighters also participated in the operations. Four Dash aircraft, two Canadair water bombers, and several helicopters were deployed, an unprecedented aerial mobilization in the Île-de-France region.

An iconic forest deeply affected

The fire reached areas of exceptional ecological value. The Fontainebleau forest benefits from Natura 2000 protections, UNESCO Biosphere Reserve status, and several biological reserves. Hundreds of animal and plant species were exposed to the flames. Several nesting birds, including the woodlark, Dartford warbler, goshawk, and European nightjar, occupied the affected areas at the time of the fires. The only known site of floating water-plantain in the Fontainebleau forest was also ravaged by the fire. This protected aquatic plant is among the species that will require special monitoring in the coming months.

Replant, secure and better protect the flowerbed

Emmanuel Macron called for a sustained effort to restore the forest and strengthen its protection. "I am counting on each and every one of you to start donating now to the Fontainebleau forest and allow us to do the work over the long term, to replant, to rebuild and to continue to improve so that this forest will be even better protected tomorrow."The President of the Republic stated that the funds raised will finance both emergency interventions and long-term restoration work. This will include securing weakened trees, monitoring natural regeneration, restoring damaged areas, and, in certain sectors, planting new species. The restoration will also address equipment damaged by the flames and measures designed to protect the forest from future fires.

A national mobilization after an exceptional fire

Emmanuel Macron described the Fontainebleau fires as an unprecedented event for the forest. No deaths were reported despite the scale of the flames and the proximity of several inhabited areas, roads, and infrastructure. The President praised the work of the firefighters, law enforcement, National Forestry Office (ONF) agents, local authorities, and companies mobilized on the ground. He also warned that France will experience exceptional pressure from forest fires in 2026, the most significant since the end of World War II. The national fundraising campaign must now support the ecological restoration of a forest frequented each year by millions of visitors and considered one of France's most important natural heritage sites.