COTIGNAC, France: A fast-moving wildfire erupted Tuesday in southern France, forcing hundreds out of their homes as nearly 1,000 firefighters and water-bombing aircraft battled to stop the blaze.
The fire swept through wooded hills in the Var region, burning 1,700 hectares (4,200 acres) in just a few hours and prompting the evacuation of nearly 400 people, the area’s top official said.
“The fire is moving down Gros Bessillon mountain at a very fast speed, which was not at all anticipated given the climatic conditions and weakening wind,” said Simon Barbre, prefect for the region located between Marseille and Nice.
He said evacuations took place around the villages of Cotignac, Montfort-sur-Argens and Correns. Many of those moved to safety came from Ponteves, where the fire started, and the nearby village of Sillans-la-Cascade.
Very dry conditions in the area have caused an extreme forest-fire risk, according to the French weather service Meteo-France.
