Hundreds gathered, packed in several rows along Rue Grande. The parade in tribute to the firefighters and to everyone who battled the fires in the Fontainebleau forest, in Seine-et-Marne (77), took place this Saturday, September 19, 2026, two months after a blaze that left a mark on France’s most-visited massif.
The crowd stretched far beyond Bellifontaine locals. Neighbors from nearby towns, families from across Île-de-France, climbers, riders and hikers linked to the massif had come out in force. The Forest of Fontainebleau belongs to far more people than just its city, and the pavement kept reminding us of that.
Video of the parade honoring the saviors of the Fontainebleau forest:
Applause erupted even before the first vehicle arrived. A flashing beacon at the far end of the street, a blare of sirens, and the crowd stood up. Kids perched on shoulders, retired firefighters at attention, handmade thank-you signs stuck to the windows on every floor.
The parade alone underscored the scale of this summer's mobilization. The fire department trucks led the procession, followed by gendarmerie vehicles and other law enforcement units, then the gear of the National Forests Office and the staff of the French Biodiversity Office.
Behind them, the tractors of local farmers earned a standing ovation of their own. From the early hours of the blaze, these operators wheeled in cisterns and trailers to feed the hoses and carve firebreaks in the soil. The volunteers and the associations that fed, housed, and supported the teams were at the tail end, closing the procession.
There was no distinction in the applause between the uniforms and the work boots. That was the most striking thing on Saturday night: the crowd cheered the entire outfit, not just its most visible part.
The parade stretched on at the Place de la République for the highlight of the evening. The municipality then carried out a ceremonial handing over of the keys to the city to each of the mobilized groups: firefighters, forestry agents, law enforcement officers, and farmers.
The gesture was rare and speaks volumes about what the municipality endured this summer. A city handing its keys to those who protected it—such a sentiment could have sounded cliché. At Place de la République on Saturday night, no one found it excessive. The evening ended with music, an outdoor concert.
The fire had broken out on July 12, 2026 and had scorched nearly 2 000 hectares before being officially declared extinguished at the end of August. The massif has since reopened widely, with about 20 000 hectares accessible out of the 22 500 that make up the forest.
Several zones remain off-limits while forestry crews secure areas where the root systems have burned and trees pose a risk of toppling. The town of Fontainebleau and the state services in Seine-et-Marne are updating the safety guidelines, which should be consulted before any forest visit.
A technical briefing had taken place the day before, on Friday, September 18, at the Municipal Theater, to outline the damage and the outlook for the massif for local residents.
To recap how the incident unfolded, we followed the containment of the fires and the arrests in custody, and we wondered whether this blaze was the largest on record in Île-de-France.
To stretch the long weekend in the department, our 10 ideas for outings in Seine-et-Marne roundup the latest happenings, and our pick of 26 beautiful villages to discover near Paris offers options for a variety of getaways around Île-de-France.
Location
Grand Street
Rue Grande
77300 Fontainebleau
Route planner
Official website
www.fontainebleau.fr
