A forest fire broke out in southeastern France, destroying more than 400 hectares near urban areas, damaging two houses and forcing the evacuation of a camping site, the fire department and local authorities said Sunday.

"The fire is very violent, very virulent," a local official in Var, Emmanuel Cayron, told AFP from the crisis centre which has been activated.

Some 430 hectares had been burned and two homes were ravaged, a spokeswoman for the local prefecture said. And 165 people were evacuated from a camping site.

The fire broke out in Hyeres around 10pm Saturday (2000 GMT), a day which was considered high risk due to dry weather and strong wind, according to a fire department spokesman.

Several roads, as well as a high-voltage power supply, have been cut off at the request of the fire department.

About 450 firefighters were battling the flames on Sunday. The fire department has requested reinforcements from neighbouring districts.

"The fire is huge, it's impressive. We can see the flames on the ridge line of the hills, and the blue lights of the firefighters," said Daniele, a resident of Hyeres.

This summer has seen blazes across southern France, which is experiencing a particularly hot and dry summer.

Tweet

forces 1,100 to flee in western Canada
Ottawa (AFP) Aug 25, 2017
A new wildfire forced 1,100 residents in Canada's westernmost province of British Columbia to flee overnight and the blaze was still burning out of control Friday, officials said. The blaze started about 20 kilometers (12 miles) east of the Okanagan wine region in the residential community of Joe Rich, near Kelowna. Stoked by high winds, it caught many off guard, including one woman who ... read more

Related Links
Forest and Wild Fires - News, Science and Technology

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The Space Media Network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceMediaNetwork Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceMediaNetwork Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only