Thousands Of People Flee A Wildfire Near The French Riviera During Vacation Season

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In this photo provided by the fire brigade of the Var region, a fireman battles with a fire near Toulon early Tuesday. Hundreds of firefighters on battled a fire racing through forests near the French Riviera that forced the evacuation of thousands of people from homes and vacation spots.

SDIS 83 via AP

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SDIS 83 via AP

The Picture Show
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The wildfire started Monday evening, in the height of France’s summer vacation season, about 40 kilometers (24 miles) inland from the coastal resort of Saint-Tropez. Fueled by powerful seasonal winds coming off the Mediterranean Sea, the fire had spread across 5,000 hectares (12,000 acres) of forest by Tuesday morning, according to the Var regional administration.

Some 6,000 people were evacuated from homes and a dozen campgrounds in the region prized by vacationers, while others were locked down in a holiday center for Air France employees. At least 22 people suffered from smoke inhalation or minor fire-related injuries, Var’s top government official told broadcaster France Bleu. Two firefighters were among the injured.

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Water-dumping planes and emergency helicopters zipped back and forth over hills lined with chestnut, pine and oak trees. Images shared online by firefighters showed black plumes of smoke leaping across thickets of trees as the flames darted across dry brush.

One evacuee told France-Bleu that smoke enveloped his car as he returned to his campsite and he had just enough time to grab his baby daughter’s milk and basic belongings before fleeing. Another told BFM television about escaping as his hotel caught fire.

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A helicopter drops water over a fire about 34 miles south of Athens on Monday.

Thanassis Stavrakis/AP

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Thanassis Stavrakis/AP

Environment
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Intense heat and wildfires have also struck countries around southern Europe and North Africa in recent weeks, with fires killing at least 75 people in Algeria and 16 in Turkey.

In Greece on Tuesday, hundreds of firefighters backed by water-dropping planes were battling a large forest fire that has led to the evacuation of a nursing home and several villages northwest of Athens.

Hundreds of wildfires have burned across Greece this month, fueled by the country’s longest and most severe heat wave in decades. Italy has also seen several fire-related deaths.

Also Tuesday, Israeli firefighters worked for a third consecutive day to contain a wildfire that has consumed a large swath of forest west of Jerusalem and threatened several communities.

Worsening drought and heat — linked to climate change — have also fueled wildfires this summer in the western United States and in Russia’s northern Siberia region.