Campsite destroyed and 3,000 evacuated as wildfire strikes south-west France
A campsite has been destroyed, and a firefighter seriously injured, in a wildfire in southern France that saw more than 3,000 people evacuated from the blaze zone.
The fire burned over 480 hectares of land close to the holiday resort of Argelès-sur-Mer in south west France and around 3,000 holidaymakers were evacuated on Tuesday.
"The fire has been contained," senior regional official Rodrigue Furcy told local radio on Tuesday evening, but the worst affected area was "under close surveillance and firefighters were still battling the blaze".
With the exception of "350 to 400" people, the holidaymakers had been able to return to their campsites on Tuesday, Furcy said.
One campsite has been totally destroyed by the flames, local media reported, while a firefighter had been seriously injured while battling the blaze.
The fire broke out on Monday afternoon and swept through 500 hectares near the villages of Saint-André, Sorède and the seaside resort of Argelès-sur-Mer in the département of Pyrénées-Orientales, close to the border with Spain.
The flames had spread rapidly due to "extremely hot weather, drought and strong winds".
READ ALSO Do heatwaves cause wildfires in France?
Thirty houses had been damaged, along with a warehouse and a campsite.
Several roads were closed and the train service from Perpignan to the Spanish border was suspended for several hours.
Bordering on Spain, the Pyrénées-Orientales area has been affected worse than any other French region by a devastating drought.
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The fire burned over 480 hectares of land close to the holiday resort of Argelès-sur-Mer in south west France and around 3,000 holidaymakers were evacuated on Tuesday.
"The fire has been contained," senior regional official Rodrigue Furcy told local radio on Tuesday evening, but the worst affected area was "under close surveillance and firefighters were still battling the blaze".
With the exception of "350 to 400" people, the holidaymakers had been able to return to their campsites on Tuesday, Furcy said.
One campsite has been totally destroyed by the flames, local media reported, while a firefighter had been seriously injured while battling the blaze.
The fire broke out on Monday afternoon and swept through 500 hectares near the villages of Saint-André, Sorède and the seaside resort of Argelès-sur-Mer in the département of Pyrénées-Orientales, close to the border with Spain.
The flames had spread rapidly due to "extremely hot weather, drought and strong winds".
READ ALSO Do heatwaves cause wildfires in France?
Thirty houses had been damaged, along with a warehouse and a campsite.
Several roads were closed and the train service from Perpignan to the Spanish border was suspended for several hours.
Bordering on Spain, the Pyrénées-Orientales area has been affected worse than any other French region by a devastating drought.
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