Vacationers were mostly able to return to their campsites Tuesday after a wildfire ripped through 1,235 acres of land near the seaside resort of Argeles-sur-Mer in southern France, close to the border with Spain, authorities said.
Up to 3,000 vacationers on four campsites had been evacuated on Monday evening as a precaution. Authorities said Tuesday that the fire was contained overnight but remains under close surveillance.
Local firefighters said one of the campsites and one house were destroyed by the blaze.
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This handout photo provided by SDIS66/Yacine Bouchaid shows planes working to extinguish a wildfire in Saint-André, southeastern France, on Aug. 14, 2023. (SDIS66/Yacine Bouchaid via AP)
That has left about 350 to 400 people without accommodation, Rodrigue Furcy, head of the administration in the Pyrenees-Orientales region, told local radio France Bleu Roussillon.
They are being looked after by the Argeles-sur-Mer city hall, according to authorities.
More than 600 firefighters, 11 firefighting aircraft and three helicopters were deployed at the popular tourist area as a combination of extremely hot weather, drought and strong winds led the flames to spread rapidly, authorities said.
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