French firefighters bring one of the worst wildfires under control

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 yesterday because of a drop in the wind – but still marked the skyline with dramatic 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 yesterday of the Bormesles-Mimosas blaze which has forced many to sleep overnight in gyms and sailing clubs.

Despite the progress, authorities feared there would be flareups afternoon due to lack of moisture and higher winds. Firefighters were still battling blazes in nearby Artigues.

Still, the Var prefecture said fires in some sites in Bormes-lesMimosas mean it is “not yet possible” for displaced residents and tourists to return to their homes and campsites. A reconnaissance flight was set to help authorities determine if it is safe to start sending people home.

Evacuees were being housed in makeshift shelters. A sailing club near Bormes-Les-Mimosas was hosting 200 people, including tourists, who were evacuated on Wednesday night.

One displaced French camper, Stephanie Reiny, who slept at the sailing club, was upbeat on learning that the firefighters were making progress. “I will go straight away to the camping site for sure ... I’m not scared any more,” she said.

Some 3,000 firefighters have been deployed to contain the flames that broke out on Monday in the south-east of France and on the island of Corsica that have consumed 7,000 hectares (17,300 acres). There have been no reported casualties.

More than 1,000 of them. backed by planes dropping water and fire retardant, have been battling wildfires that billowed smoke into the sky over the Cote d’Azur.

Prime Minister Edouard Philippe visited the area on what he said was a grim day.

Large swathes of Mediterranean forest have been left bare and blackened after three days of fires. About 250 trailer homes, a hangar, an atelier and several vehicles were burned in the blazes, but no-one has been injured so far, the prefect of the Var region said.

“There will be more fires tomorrow,” Mr Philippe said after flying over the devastated region and meeting firefighting personnel.

Firefighting aircraft made more than 500 drops of water or retardant, Mr Phillipe said, and only three blazes remained active in the Var region – out of dozens that started on Wednesday.

Wildfires also continued to burn in Portugal, where almost 2,000 firefighters were deployed at six major blazes on Thursday.

Civil Protection Agency spokeswoman Patricia Gaspar said continuing strong winds and tinder-dry woodland remain a menace.

She said no one has been evacuated, but 37 people have been slightly injured in recent days.

The worst-affected areas continued to be in central Portugal, especially a fire around Serta, 125 miles northeast of Lisbon, which was burning for a fifth day.

One wildfire last month in Portugal killed 64 people.