France Link

Fires across southen France injure 4 firefighters, hundreds evacuated

Hundreds of children and adults were evacuated from leisure centres and homes north of Marseille while four fire crew were hurt near Béziers.

La rédaction de Mediapart

This article is freely available.

Fires whipped by high winds are ravaging several sites in southern France, including an industrial area near the city of Marseille where oil and petrochemicals are stocked, reports the Daily Star of Lebanon.

Hundreds of children and adults were evacuated Wednesday from recreation centers and homes in the town of Vitrolles, north of Marseille.

Interior minister Barnard Cazeneuve says four firefighters were injured, three seriously, by another fire in the nearby Hérault region.

The minister said 1,200 firefighters are battling the blazes at the various sites, and planes are used to dump water from the skies to put out the flames.

Read more of this report from the Daily Star of Lebanon.