Two firefighting planes have been rushed to the Paris region to tackle a large wildfire south of the French capital.

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

Early on Monday, officials said the fire had raced across 800 hectares and was still spreading in the forest, about 40 miles (60km) south-east of the city of Paris.

The Paris region is suffering through its third heatwave this year during a summer in which temperature records have broken in several countries across Europe.

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

Two firefighting helicopters and an observation aircraft had also been deployed, he added, according to Agence-France-Presse.

“The aim is to save lives and property,” he was quoted as saying.