MARSEILLE, Aug 17 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Thousands of people, including tourists in campsites, have been evacuated from the Var region of southern France due to a wildfire, a spokeswoman for the fire department said on Tuesday.
“Thousands of people have been evacuated as a precautionary measure, but there are no victims. Around 750 firefighters are fighting the fire, which is still very fierce,” she said.
French firefighters battled on Tuesday to contain a large wildfire in the southern region of Var, as Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said he would visit the area to monitor the situation.
Authorities urged people to stay well away from the blaze, near the village of Gonfaron, about 50 km west of the Riviera tourist town of St Tropez.
Darmanin said he would go to Gonfaron, adding that more than 600 firefighters were tackling the blaze and necessary reinforcements would be sent as quickly as possible to protect the population.
The local government official for Var said 12 campsites had been evacuated, and 4,000 hectares of land had been burnt.
Bouts of extremely hot weather have hit much of the Mediterranean region in recent weeks. Two wildfires, fanned by strong winds, raged out of control near Athens on Monday, forcing the evacuation of villages. — NNN-AGENCIES
