Wildfires Force Thousands to Evacuate in Southern France
At least 10,000 people, including 3,000 campers, were evacuated overnight — some to beaches nearby — after a forest fire started
near Bormes-les-Mimosas, a town on the Mediterranean coast, where the population surges with vacationers during the summer.
Another fire started early on Wednesday in the Bouches-du-Rhône area, near the town of Martigues, west of the port of Marseille, according
to firefighters, who said they were able to contain the blaze after it had burned through about 100 acres of pine forest.
France has requested two water bombers from its European neighbors to help battle the fires, and Mr. Collomb announced on Tuesday in Corsica
that six Canadair water bombers would be added to the country’s air fleet.
By AURELIEN BREEDEN and BENOÎT MORENNEJULY 26, 2017
PARIS — Thousands of people were evacuated from homes
and vacation sites in southeastern France on Wednesday as strong winds fueled wildfires that had been raging across the region for days.
In fires near the towns of La Croix-Valmer and Artigues, at least 10 firefighters were injured on Tuesday,
but those fires were under control, the Var prefecture said on Wednesday.
