Wildfires 2024: Thousands of holidaymakers forced to flee from tourist hotspots in France as intense fires rage
More than 3,000 holidaymakers have been forced to evacuate as wildfires have hit tourist hotspots in France.
Wildfires are raging in southern France forcing authorities to evacuate thousands of people from campsites and tourist spots over the weekend. Some 3,000 holidaymakers fled campgrounds near the coastal town of Canet-en-Roussillon while dozens more people had to abandon their homes in Frontignan near Montpellier, the Daily Mail reports.
Over the weekend, hundreds of firefighters were tasked with battling the infernos. The firefighters managed to extinguish them this morning (Monday 19 August).
A spokesman for the regional firefighters in Montpellier, Jerome Bonnafoux, told the Daily Mail today: “The fire has been under control for two and a half hours now. But we're still working on it because there are several hot spots where the risk of it flaring is high.”
Two intense wildfires in the south of France have burnt over 400 acres of land. The first and largest of the wildfires started on Sunday afternoon (18 August), whilst the second one started at around 11pm. Firefighters used tactics including using water from swimming pools in the local area to tackle the blaze.
The Hérault and Pyrénées-Orientales departments continue to face heightened warnings today (August 19). The risk of more wildfires has not fully passed as conditions are still ripe for fires to break out.
It comes after fires also blighted Turkey last week with hundreds of firefighters eventually managing to calm blazes across the nation on Friday. The fire was brought under control and officials said it was started by a spark from electricity lines that spread through forested areas. Off-duty firefighters were called in to help and police water cannons were also employed to fight the blaze.