Alghadeer TV Alghadeer TV
French firefighters battled on Tuesday to contain a large wildfire in the southern region of Var, as Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said he would visit the area to monitor the situation.
Authorities urged people to stay well away from the blaze, near the village of Gonfaron, about 50 km (30 miles) west of the Riviera tourist town of St Tropez.
Firefighting planes carrying water are being sent to the area, where around 5,000 hectares (12,350 acres) of land have been burnt and campsites have been evacuated, a local government official said.
The Var fire service published an image on its Twitter account showing the sky glowing bright red with flames in the early hours of Tuesday.
Darmanin said he would go to Gonfaron, and that any reinforcements needed would be sent as quickly as possible to protect the population.
Waves of extreme heat have hit much of the Mediterranean region in recent weeks. Two wildfires, fanned by strong winds, raged out of control near Athens on Monday, forcing the evacuation of villages.
