MARSEILLE, France: On Monday, officials reported that two wildfires in southern France had forced the evacuation of several thousand people before being brought under control.
In Canet-en-Roussillon, near Perpignan, approximately 3,000 holidaymakers were evacuated from a campsite to a municipal building due to a fire exacerbated by strong winds. The blaze destroyed one mobile home and partially damaged five others, but was later brought under control, according to rescue services.
Further up the Mediterranean coast, a fire in Frontignan, near Montpellier, prompted evacuations from the affected areas but was also contained. Jerome Bonnafoux, a spokesman for the regional firefighters, stated that the fire had been under control for about two and a half hours. However, he noted that efforts were ongoing to address several hotspots where the risk of flare-ups remained high.
Of the 600 firefighters who were mobilized on Sunday, about half were expected to continue working on the fire throughout the day. The blaze has burned through at least 300 hectares (740 acres) of land and started near the A9 highway, which connects Montpellier to the Spanish border. Firefighters had to empty private swimming pools to aid in extinguishing the fire, as reported by the mayor’s cabinet director.
