Two fires in southern France forced thousands of people to evacuate before they were brought under control, authorities said Monday.
Rescue services said in a statement that about 3,000 tourists were evacuated from a campsite in the coastal town of Canet-en-Roussillon due to the fire, which was fanned by strong winds.
The source said that the fire in this camp, located near the city of Perpignan, which broke out early Monday morning and destroyed a prefabricated house, was brought under control.
Early in the morning, vacationers were able to return to the campsite, the local prefecture said, adding that 11 people were injured, including two firefighters.
More than a hundred kilometres to the northeast, another fire forced dozens of people to leave their homes in Frontignan, also on the shores of the Mediterranean.
“The fire was under control for two and a half hours,” fire service spokesman Jerome Bonafeau said at dawn, adding that there were still “hot spots” to be extinguished.
The fire destroyed at least 300 hectares of land near the A9 motorway, which connects Montpellier to the Spanish border.
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