15 August 2023 , 11:16
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Thousands of tourists have been evacuated from a holiday hotspot after ferocious wildfires destroyed homes and campsites.
At least 3,000 tourists have fled after the blaze ripped through 500 hectares of land in an area of France close to the Spanish border that has been sweltering for months. In the Pyrenees-Orientales region the seaside resort of Argeles has been impacted, destroying at least one campsite.
Video from the area shows flames approaching a site where families are stuffing their belongings into bags and fleeing as children scream in the background. Clouds of thick smoke blotted out the sky after the fires broke out on Monday afternoon.
The flames spread rapidly close to the villages of Saint-Andre, Sorede and Argeles as very hot weather and strong winds created perfect conditions for the tinder dry countryside to ignite. Around 450 fire fighters have worked flat out to get the inferno under control, with 17 suffering minor injuries as a result.
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A fire has ripped through a holiday hotspot in southern France (AFP via Getty Images)Senior regional official Rodrigue Furcy said that the fire has been contained but remains dangerous. He added that the impacted area remains "under close surveillance and firefighters were still battling the blaze".
France is now suffering through its fourth heatwave of the year (AFP via Getty Images)Thirty houses had been damaged, along with a warehouse and a campsite, Mail Online reported, while a number of roads have been closed and the train service from Perpignan to the Spanish border was suspended for several hours.
The fire has destroyed one forest fire tanker truck and around 50 mobile homes in the Les Chenes Rouges campsite in Argeles-sur-Mer, Crisis24 reported.
The fire is not the first one to hit the region this summer. Last week 8,000 people close to the southwestern city of Bordeaux had to flee their homes. At the end of July close to 40,000 people were ordered to flee due to a blaze in Gironde.
Around 23 square miles in the Gironde region and the neighbouring Landes have been burnt in what has caused devastation to the wildlife in the area. France is now living through its fourth heatwave of the year and one of its worst droughts on record.
Temporary accommodation has been set up to shelter people in Argeles-sur-Mer (AFP via Getty Images)Climate change caused by humans has coupled with the El Nino weather system to produce ferociously hot temperatures in many different parts of the globe, including Spain, Greece and China.
This weekend the Mirror visited Rhodes in Greece to see how wildfires that raced across the island in July - leading to the evacuation of 25,000 tourists - had impacted people, the natural landscape and the economy.
Those caught up in the wildfires in France should following this advice from officials.
Around 3,000 people have been evacuated in the latest wildfire (AFP via Getty Images)"Heed any evacuation orders. Seek updated information on road conditions if driving in the affected area; road closures and detours will likely cause increased congestion and delays. Individuals not under evacuation warnings should consider remaining inside well-ventilated, air-conditioned spaces to reduce exposure to smoke," it reads.
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"Collect essential items - including identification and any important legal and travel documents - in a 'go-bag' that can be easily accessed. Charge battery-powered devices in the case of prolonged power outages."