Two firefighting planes have been flown to the Paris region to deal with a large forest fire south of the French capital.

The Fontainebleau forest fire, described by authorities as “virulent” and of “exceptional scale”, partially closed the country’s main north-south highway, disrupting traffic during the first major weekend of the summer.

Early Monday, authorities said the fire had spread to 800 hectares and was still spreading through the forest, about 40 miles (60 kilometers) southeast of the city of Paris.

The Paris region is suffering its third heat wave this year during a summer in which temperature records have been broken in several European countries.

It was the first time firefighting planes were sent from the normally drier and hotter south of the country to fight fires in the Paris region, said Eric Brocardi of France’s national firefighters federation.

Two firefighting helicopters and an observation plane were also deployed, Agence-France-Presse reported.

“The goal is to save lives and property,” he said.