Wind drop helps tame France wildfire

BORMES-LES-MIMOSAS, France — French firefighters have tamed one of the fiercest blazes to break out during four days of wildfires in the country’s southeast Mediterranean coast that led to the evacuation of more than 12,000 people.

The fire in the seaside town of Bormes-Les-Mimosas in the southern Var region calmed Thursday because of a drop in the wind — but still marked the skyline with clouds of black smoke that were visible for miles.

“The fire is contained,” Frederic Marchi-Leccia of the Var Fire and Emergency Service told reporters Thursday.

Still, the Var prefecture said fires in some sites in Bormes-les-Mimosas mean it is “not yet possible” for evacuated residents and tourists to return to their homes and campsites.