Around 2,700 people have been evacuated, some of them by boat, to escape forest fires that were raging Wednesday across a vast area near the southern French city of Marseille, reports FRANCE 24.
Some 1,800 firefighters are battling the blazes, which broke out on Tuesday afternoon, fanned by strong winds.
The fires have ravaged about 1,000 hectares (2,500 acres) of vegetation and are threatening residential areas and campsites near the coast, the fire service said.
No casualties have been reported, "but material damage has still to be evaluated," it said.
The blazes are not yet under control, but lighter winds are expected later Wednesday.
Eight campsites near the towns of Martigues, where the fire erupted, and Sausset-les-Pins have been evacuated "as a preventative measure", the fire service said.