Two firefighting aircraft have been sent to the area to help stop the fire spreading. Parts of the important A6 motorway running between Paris and Lyon have had to be closed because of the fire.
Around 900 people have been evacuated from their homes, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said, according to BFMTV.
Thousands of road users travelling ahead of Tuesday's National Day celebrations and the first weekend of the industrial holiday have had to take detours or postpone their trips.
According to Le Parisien, no injuries have been reported, but the fire is described as aggressive and “on an exceptional scale.” The newspaper reports that more than 370 firefighters and 130 vehicles are fighting various fires in the area.
The flames have also caused major delays in train services to Gare de Lyon in Paris.
Extensive fires in southern France have already devastated large areas since last week, disrupting the Tour de France cycling race and putting a huge strain on emergency services resources.
France is now experiencing the peak of the third heatwave of the summer. Temperatures have risen to over 40 degrees in the western and central parts of the country, while it is around 37 degrees in Paris.
