Delicious
Digg
Facebook
Twitter
Yahoo!
TechnoratiFires ravage coast near Marseille
Fires raged overnight in the south of France, destroying 900 hectares of pine forest and brush and forcing the evacuation of a camp site housing about 2,000 holiday makers. Firefighters say that the flames should soon be under control.
The fires, which started at 9pm Saturday were spread by seasonal Mistral winds across the area between Sausset les Pins and St Julien les Martigues on the Mediterranean coast near Marseille.
They are believed to have been started by a vehicle being deliberately set on fire.
About 2,000 people staying at a campsite at Carry-le-Rouet were allowed to return on Sunday morning after being moved out overnight. At daybreak firefighters were struggling to keep the flames at bay as they approached houses but so far little damage to property or people is reported.
Airplanes and helicopters dropped water on the flames on Sunday morning and Colonel Gérard Patimo, who heads the operation, told reporters that the fires are “well on the way to being under control”.
The weekend’s fires are “a tragedy” for the area, according to Sausset mayor Eric Diard. It was badly affected by fires in the 70s and 80s, he told France Info radio.
“Since then nature took over again. Tomorrow we’re going to find a lunar landscape.”
Comments
React to this article