Wildfires force more than 10,000 people to evacuate in France

By Eric Leister, AccuWeather meteorologist

July 26,2017, 11:10:53AM,EDT

 

 A series of wildfires have burned more than 4,000 hectares (9,884 acres) and forced almost 12,000 people to be evacuated across southern France in recent days, according to The Guardian.

A new fire that broke out on Tuesday near a popular tourist area resulted in the evacuation of around 3,000 holidaymakers.

Sunbathers are being evacuated from the beach in Le Lavandou, French Riviera, as plumes of smoke rise in the air from burning wildfires, Wednesday, July 26, 2017. (AP Photo/Claude Paris)

France reached out to the rest of Europe on Tuesday asking for aid in tackling several dangerous fires across the country.
More than 4,000 firefighters and 19 firefighting aircraft were already battling the blazes when requests for additional help went out.

A firefighting plane drops fire retardant over a forest near La Londe-les-Maures on the French Riviera, Wednesday, July 26, 2017. (AP Photo/Claude Paris)

Fires have also broke out near the popular tourist destination of Saint-Tropez. The influx of vacationers results in the population tripling during the summer months putting more people at risk from the fires.
Strong winds made fighting the fires more difficult on Wednesday. Gusty winds will continue on Thursday and Friday, especially during the afternoon hours.

In this image dated Monday, July 24, 2017, a forest fire rages on a hillside above the village of Ortale in Corsica, France. (AP Photo/Raphael Poletti)

Warm and dry conditions are also expected to continue across the region through the weekend bringing no relief to the current fire situation.
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Wildfires are also burning in Portugal and Italy amid a hot and dry summer across all of southern Europe.