Wildfires break out along France's Mediterranean coast
Multiple wildfires broke out along France's Mediterranean coastline on Tuesday after several days of scorching temperatures left landscapes parched.
Roads and railways were closed and people evacuated after wildfires broke out in Cagnes-sur-mer, on the outskirts of Nice, on the island of Corsica and in the département of Pyrenées-Orientale, close to the Spanish border.
On Tuesday afternoon trains were halted in both directions between Nice and Antibes and the A8 autoroute - which runs along the Riviera and into Italy - was closed because of the smoke from fires.
Residents of an exclusive apartment block in Cagnes-sur-mer have been evacuated after vegetation around the pool caught fire, according to local paper Nice-Matin.
Ce mardi après-midi, un incendie s'est déclaré entre Villeneuve-Loubet et Cagnes-sur-Mer. Il est visible depuis l'autoroute A8.
📽️ Jess Haffner pic.twitter.com/ybOkvCXvOF
— Nice-Matin (@Nice_Matin) July 25, 2023
Firefighters are on the scene and have described the blaze as 'significant'.
🔴 Incendie aux abords des voies en gare de Cagnes sur Mer.
❌ La circulation est interrompue entre Antibes ↔️ Nice dans les deux sens.
⚠️ Des retards et suppressions sont à prévoir.
Une ❓ tweetez-nous 📲 pic.twitter.com/Gf5IA3vsnU
— SNCF TER SUD Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur (@TERSUD_SNCF) July 25, 2023
Within the city of Nice, multiple events were cancelled and parks and gardens closed.
On the island of Corsica, fires broke out overnight, fanned by winds of up to 100 km/h.
Residents were evacuated from villages and holiday resorts around Balagne, in Haut-Corse. It is estimated that at least 200 hectares have burned.
🌀Plusieurs habitations en cours d'évacuation à #Balagne (#Corse) suite à un important #incendies attisé par des vents violent pouvant atteindre 100 km/h. pic.twitter.com/ZgwbpIF4n3
— Poing de Vues Media (@PoingdeVues) July 26, 2023
The popular holiday resort of Argelès-sur-Mer, close to the Spanish border, was also hit by fires. A campsite was evacuated by firefighters managed to bring the three-hectare blaze under control.
Several areas in the south of France have been placed on alert for wildfires in recent days, although the Bouches-du-Rhône département further along the coast (which includes Marseille) was the only one placed on red alert on France's new forest fire risk rating map.
Wildfires are a significant risk in France in the summer, especially in the south, and increasingly hot summers and drought conditions mean they are likely to become more severe as time goes on.
Extra firefighters have been deployed to the Mediterranean coast in recent days because of the hot, dry conditions that make fires more likely - the area has been seeing temperatures of around 40C for more than a week.
France has also sent firefighters and equipment to Greece to battle wildfires raging there.
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Roads and railways were closed and people evacuated after wildfires broke out in Cagnes-sur-mer, on the outskirts of Nice, on the island of Corsica and in the département of Pyrenées-Orientale, close to the Spanish border.
On Tuesday afternoon trains were halted in both directions between Nice and Antibes and the A8 autoroute - which runs along the Riviera and into Italy - was closed because of the smoke from fires.
Residents of an exclusive apartment block in Cagnes-sur-mer have been evacuated after vegetation around the pool caught fire, according to local paper Nice-Matin.
Ce mardi après-midi, un incendie s'est déclaré entre Villeneuve-Loubet et Cagnes-sur-Mer. Il est visible depuis l'autoroute A8.
— Nice-Matin (@Nice_Matin) July 25, 2023
📽️ Jess Haffner pic.twitter.com/ybOkvCXvOF
Firefighters are on the scene and have described the blaze as 'significant'.
🔴 Incendie aux abords des voies en gare de Cagnes sur Mer.
— SNCF TER SUD Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur (@TERSUD_SNCF) July 25, 2023
❌ La circulation est interrompue entre Antibes ↔️ Nice dans les deux sens.
⚠️ Des retards et suppressions sont à prévoir.
Une ❓ tweetez-nous 📲 pic.twitter.com/Gf5IA3vsnU
Within the city of Nice, multiple events were cancelled and parks and gardens closed.
On the island of Corsica, fires broke out overnight, fanned by winds of up to 100 km/h.
Residents were evacuated from villages and holiday resorts around Balagne, in Haut-Corse. It is estimated that at least 200 hectares have burned.
🌀Plusieurs habitations en cours d'évacuation à #Balagne (#Corse) suite à un important #incendies attisé par des vents violent pouvant atteindre 100 km/h. pic.twitter.com/ZgwbpIF4n3
— Poing de Vues Media (@PoingdeVues) July 26, 2023
The popular holiday resort of Argelès-sur-Mer, close to the Spanish border, was also hit by fires. A campsite was evacuated by firefighters managed to bring the three-hectare blaze under control.
Several areas in the south of France have been placed on alert for wildfires in recent days, although the Bouches-du-Rhône département further along the coast (which includes Marseille) was the only one placed on red alert on France's new forest fire risk rating map.
Wildfires are a significant risk in France in the summer, especially in the south, and increasingly hot summers and drought conditions mean they are likely to become more severe as time goes on.
Extra firefighters have been deployed to the Mediterranean coast in recent days because of the hot, dry conditions that make fires more likely - the area has been seeing temperatures of around 40C for more than a week.
France has also sent firefighters and equipment to Greece to battle wildfires raging there.
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