Fire destroys campsite and 500 hectares in south of France

The smoldering stays of a home are seen within the aftermath of a fireplace that ravaged the commune of Saint-André, Pyrénées-Orientales, France on August 15, 2023. More than 3,000 folks had been evacutated from vacation campsites close to the Spanish border, with the hearth spreading over about 500 hectares within the Pyrenees-Orientales area, native officers mentioned. Raymond Roig/ AFP

PARIS — A fireplace burnt by 500 hectares of land and destroyed a campsite within the south of France, with 2,000 folks evacuated throughout the evening, French regional authorities mentioned on Tuesday.

The fireplace is now underneath management, the French inside minister Gerald Darmanin mentioned on Twitter. No residents or vacationers had been injured and many of the evacuees have been capable of return to their lodging, authorities mentioned.

The blaze tore by a vacationer space within the Pyrenees-Orientales area close to the Spanish border, which was weak as a consequence of “intense heat, dryness and tumultuous winds of up to 180km/h,” authorities mentioned.

Eight hundred campers might want to rehoused, Darmanin mentioned. — Reuters