France: Wildfires in south force mass evacuations /update 2

Event

Southeastern France continues to battle massive forest fires as of Wednesday, July 26, amid peak tourist season. Four thousand hectares of land have now been destroyed in the departments of Vaucluse, Var, Alpes-Maritimes and Corsica after fires broke out on Monday, July 24. Some 2000 firefighters and troops have been deployed, backed by 19 water bombers. France additionally requested two extra firefighting aircrafts from the European Union – a request immediately fulfilled by Italy.

Although local authorities claim that most fires have been contained in the departments of Vaucluse, Alpes-Maritimes and Haute-Corse, a new fire erupted in Bormes-les-Mimosas, in Var, on Tuesday, July 25, at approximately 22:00 (local time), destroying 800 hectares of land and forcing the evacuation of some 12,000 people overnight. Meanwhile, a violent fire has struck the village of Carro (Bouches-du-Rhône) on Wednesday, July 26, forcing villagers to evacuate. As of 8:00, Wednesday, July 26, 800 firefighters are battling the flames in these two areas alone.

Furthermore, hundreds of homes have been evacuated in Corsica.

Although no fatalities have been reported, at least twelve firemen have been injured, and fifteen policemen fell ill due to smothering smoke, in their attempts to control the blaze.

All of southeast France is currently on high alert due to the heightened risk of fires. Strong wind, potentially reaching 90 km/h (56 mph), is forecast throughout Wednesday, July 26. All access to forests in the departments of Bouches-du-Rhône and Var is prohibited until further notice.

Since June, the south of Europe has been affected by a wave of wildfires due to strong winds, dry conditions, and severe temperatures.

Advice

Individuals are advised to exercise caution when traveling in areas affected by wildfires, to adhere to all instructions issued by the local authorities (e.g. evacuation orders), and to keep abreast of the situation.