Wildfires ravage over 1,300ha of historic forest near Paris

ARBONNE-LA-FORET, France - France on July 13 battled two fires that scorched over 1,300ha in a forest south of Paris on July 13, as police arrested two people suspected of arson.The fire erupted on July 12 in the sprawling Fontainebleau forest, a former royal hunting estate that today is dotted with quiet villages, about 60km south-east of the capital.As the region sweltered through its latest heatwave, the wildfire – rare in the north of the country – quickly spread across the UNESCO biosphere reserve, disrupting rail and road traffic during a busy holiday travel long weekend.Throughout the day, aircraft in the skies and firefighters on the ground were trying to douse the flames.By the afternoon of July 13, it had raced across almost 1,200ha, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said.He said a