Wildfire displaces 2,000, damages houses in southern France

By Nur Asena Erturk

ANKARA (AA) – A wildfire on Monday evening swept through nearly 500 hectares (1,235 acres) of land in southern France, displacing over 2,000 people and damaging houses, authorities announced Tuesday.

The blazes spread through the touristic spots of the department Pyrenees-Orientales in the Mediterranean, the prefecture said on X, formerly known as Twitter.

The towns of Sorede, Saint-Andre, and Argeles-sur-Mer were affected, the prefecture added, explaining that the fire hit mostly tourist areas.

Authorities evacuated 2,000 people from two residential sites and four camping areas in the town of Saint-Andre, where houses and other buildings were severely damaged.

The fire claimed no lives, the prefecture noted, adding that it was put out around 3.00 a.m. (0100GMT) with the efforts of over 650 firefighters.