Wildfires rip through homes and campsites in France as thousands of tourists evacuated

A woman taking a picture of the wildfire breaking out in the Pyrenees-Orentales region. Credit: Getty

At least 3,000 tourists have fled after a fire tore through 500 hectares of land in the Pyrenees-Orentales region of south-west France near the Spanish border.

Destroying homes and campsites in its way, the flames made their way quickly towards the villages of Saint-Andre, Sorede and Argeles as hot weather and strong winds turned the region into a tinderbox.

Remains of some sun loungers after a fire ripped through a campsite in south-west France. Credit: Getty

It took around 450 fire fighters to bring the fire under control, with 17 suffering minor injuries as a result.

Speaking to BFMTV, minister of ecological transition and territorial cohesion Christophe Bechu said that "dozens of people" are being accompanied after losing their homes to the fires.

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He stated that the situation "is under control" but that hundreds of firefighters remain on alert in case it starts again.

Mr Bechu praised the work of staff at the campsites who helped streamline the evacuation process.

"When the flames fell back towards the campsite, the real difficulty for the firefighters was the presence of gas cylinders inside the bungalows," he added.

Videos posted on social media show plumes of black clouds darkening the sky in some parts of the region.

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