A man watches smoke drift near a ruin in the village of Cotignac, in the Var department, France, following a wildfire.
Flames rise in the hills near the village of Cotignac, in the Var department, France, behind a house located several kilometres from the wildfire,
A French firefighter sprays water during mop-up operations following a wildfire near Ponteves in the Var department, France.
A French firefighter battles a wildfire in a forest near Ponteves, in the Var department, as drought conditions worsen following a heatwave and water shortages across much of France.
Flames burn through a forest near Ponteves in the Var department, southeastern France, during a wildfire fueled by dry conditions following a heatwave.
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The fire was not yet contained on Wednesday morning but winds should be “more favorable” today despite high temperatures, he said.
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The Var prefecture said 2,300 households were left without power on Wednesday mostly in the village of Cotignac.
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Most of the evacuations took place around the villages of Ponteves, Cotignac, Sillans-la-Cascade, Correns and Montfort-sur-Argens.
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Europe is the world’s fastest-warming continent and many scientists say human-driven climate change is increasing the intensity of heatwaves, droughts and wildfires, while also creating conditions for sudden, destructive storms.
Reporting by Dominique Vidalon; Editing by Thomas Derpinghaus.
