Firefighters and police have been injured as they battled wildfires in the French Riviera and on the island of Corsica.

Eight firefighters and some 15 police officers were hurt in the fires which broke out on Monday and consumed nearly 9,880 acres of vegetation, according to French authorities.

The French civil security authority has asked the European Union for help and to provide two Canadair planes to contain and extinguish the wildfire.

Hundreds of firefighters are currently involved in tackling the blazes.

There have been no reports of injuries among residents or tourists.

Flames burned almost 2,000 acres around the Var area of Provence, with two villas destroyed seven miles west of Saint-Tropez. A huge fire in the neighbouring Luberon region is now under control.

The Var prefecture said about 100 people had been evacuated in Ramatuelle.

The largest blaze was in northern Corsica, with nearly 5,000 acres burned.

French interior minister Gerard Collomb tweeted that he would travel to Corsica on Tuesday evening to meet emergency services.

People look on at wildfires in France. </s> Actress Joan Collins is among the Saint-Tropez residents were have been forced to flee from their villas as huge fires ripped through the French Riviera and across southern Europe.Large forest blazes in the French Riviera, Corsica and Portugal were sparked by heatwaves across the sun-kissed region, which is already teeming with British tourists ahead of the busy summer holiday period.As tourists continued to sunbathe on the beaches, hundreds of firefighters tackled a blaze spanning 2,000 acres around the Var prefecture. Two villas were destroyed in La Croix Valmer, seven miles west of the glamorous holiday destination.British actress Joan Collins, 84, told Twitter followers she was one of 11 who fled from the house last night and later claimed the massive blaze had been caused by someone's barbecue.She wrote: 'Luckily we were able to evacuate last night, not easy with 11 people in the house! We are all okay. Thanks everybody for good wishes about our safety in fire, all seems ok although fire still burning started by BBQ.'Southeast France is experiencing an exceptionally hot, dry summer that have made it especially vulnerable to fires.Elsewhere, around 100 homes in the village of Mirabeau and a neighbouring hamlet had to be evacuated while cars and a house were gutted by flames in Carros, north of Nice.On the island of Corsica, one fire, made worse by strong winds, has spread across 900 hectares of forest and is reportedly threatening to engulf homes.Hundreds of fire fighters are working around the clock in southern France and water-bombing planes and helicopters have been dousing the inferno from above.About 100 residences were evacuated in the village of Mirabeau and a dozen of horses in a stable were also moved to safer ground.Fires have destroyed some 1,400 hectares of forest and woodlands in the south of France and the island of Corsica on Monday, authorities said.The biggest fire was in the village of Bastidonne, in the Vaucluse region, where fires, intensified by strong winds, consumed some 600 hectares of forest.Part of the A51 highway and the railway line between Briançon and Marseille have been closed temporarily, and public access to several forest areas has been suspended, prefecture officials said.'The fire is very fierce and heading to urban areas of Biguglia,' lieutenant-colonel Michel Bernier, of France's civil defence forces, told AFP.The blaze engulfed a sawmill and burned 10 vehicles.'We are awaiting reinforcements,' said regional deputy fire chief Jean-Jacques Peraldi. Around 160 people were battling the blaze aided by more than a dozen fire engines.Local official Gerard Gavory said that three firefighting planes were also involved, and 'have been surveying the area to make sure no homes are affected.'Another fire on the south of the island, which destroyed 110 hectares around the town of Aleria, was brought under control on Monday, Bernier said.'It's a very dangerous day,' Bernier said. 'And the fight is going to be very, very long tonight.'Almost 5,000 firefighters supported by water-dropping aircraft are deployed across central and northern areas of Portugal as the country continues its daily summertime battle against wildfires.The Civil Protection Agency says it has managed to bring under control all but one of 108 forest fires that broke out Sunday thanks to the efforts of almost 4,982 firefighters and more than 1,000 vehicles.The only blaze still causing trouble early Monday was around the town of Serta, some 125 miles northeast of Lisbon, where just over 700 firefighters and nine aircraft were in action.Agency spokeswoman Patricia Gaspar says authorities are leaving the full contingent of firefighters in place because high winds and temperatures could re-ignite blazes.Portugal is blighted annually by summer wildfires, and one last month killed 64 people.There were also forest fires in Corsica, in the city of Carros close to Nice and in the resort town of Saint-Tropez, authorities said.In the nearby Var region, another fire burned over 200 hectares at Gigaro, close to Saint-Tropez.The blaze in Carros burned a house, three vehicles and a warehouse and led to some homes being evacuated, according to regional authorities.More than 270 firefighters were on the scene.On the island of Corsica, residents were evacuated from homes at the edge of the town of Biguglia, on the island's northeastern coast. </s> Wildfires in southeastern France have forced the evacuation of at least 10,000 people overnight Tuesday, officials said.

The blaze, near Borme-les-Mimosas on the Mediterranean coast, came one day after France reached out to the European Union for extra help in fighting wildfires raging through the country's arid south, Agence France-Presse reports .

The exceptional heat and dryness this summer — coinciding with the peak tourism season on the French Riviera — has increased fire risks in the region.

"It's an area that doubles or triples its population in summer," a fire official said. "The evacuations, at least 10,000, followed the progression of the fire."

Wildfires have already ravaged about 4,000 hectares (15 square miles) of land around the Mediterranean coast, the hilly interior and on the island of Corsica.

One of the fires burning in La Croix-Valmar, near the seaside resort town of Saint-Tropez, had been contained Tuesday, AFP reports quoting local officials. But 400 hectares of coastal forest were burnt by then, forcing over 200 evacuations.

Authorities have deployed more than 4,000 firefighters and soldiers to combat the flames, with the help of 19 water-bomber planes. At least 12 firefighters have suffered injuries since fires broke out on Monday, while 15 police officers have been affected by smoke inhalation. </s> NICE/MARSEILLE, France (Reuters) - Firefighters battled wind-whipped infernos along the French Riviera coast on Tuesday as the flames torched vegetation on hills overlooking glitzy Mediterranean resorts thronged by summer holidaymakers.

Local authorities said several firefighters were injured and one hospitalized but there were no immediate reports of deaths, unlike with similar wildfires that have killed dozens elsewhere in southern Europe, notably Portugal.

One blaze that erupted late on Monday, near the Croix Valmer resort and the yacht-filled marinas of Saint-Tropez, sent clouds of thick smoke into azure skies within view of busy beaches.

Authorities said that blaze had engulfed 650 hectares of land in one of several spots where fires prompted closure of parts of the local road network, a rail line and at one stage part of the A51 motorway in the southeastern corner of France.

Weather forecasters said strong winds would persist for another day or two days at least, heightening the risk that even spots where firefighters were close to containing the flames could fall prey to another flare-up.

One of the blazes was thought to have been started by a bolt of lightning, but carelessly discarded cigarette butts are often blamed for setting tinderbox areas of the midsummer southern coast alight.

Another fire that scorched at least 800 hectares of land in the picturesque Vaucluse region further inland was believed to be under control on Tuesday morning, local firefighters said.

But a further blaze was meanwhile ripping through swathes of hillside on the island of Corsica that lies off the French coast in a corner of the Mediterranean near Italy.

Upwards of 1,400 hectares of forest and woodland had already been destroyed by fire by Monday night, when a small number of people in the village of Mirabeau and a dozen horses were evacuated to safety, authorities said. </s> France is asking European neighbors to help it fight fast-growing wildfires that have consumed thousands of acres of forest near the Mediterranean coast, forcing tourists to leave an area that's normally packed with visitors in the summer.

Several large fires have struck near the French Riviera this week, in resort areas near Saint-Tropez and also on the island of Corsica. Their rapid growth is being blamed on dry and windy conditions, and plentiful fuel.

Some 12,000 people — including 3,000 campers — moved to safety in Bormes-les-Mimosas, east of Marseille, after a fire exploded to nearly 2,000 acres on Tuesday, reports Radio France International. Photos from the scene last night show people sleeping under sheets on the beach, with flames and smoke clearly visible inland.

Today, locals are using terms such as "apocalyptic" and "lunar landscape" to describe areas hit by fire. While some fires have been contained, others continue to pose unpredictable threats.

"The blazes on Tuesday had devoured around 4,000 hectares (15 square miles) of land along the Mediterranean coast, in the mountainous interior and on Corsica," France 24 reports, adding that more than 4,000 firefighters are attempting to control the blazes.

French President Emmanuel Macron said in a pair of tweets Wednesday, "Admiration and courage for those who fight without respite against the fire that ravages part of our territories." He then added, "and full support to those forced to leave their threatened homes."

Local governments are setting up crisis centers and online tools for helping people share shelter and supplies with each other. </s> Thousands of people were forced to evacuate their homes in the south of France as forest fires engulfed up to 4,000 hectares across the region.

People were forced to take shelter overnight on the beach near the popular resort of Saint-Tropez.

The violent fire took hold at just before 11pm on Tuesday, officials said and 540 firefighters were sent in to the region to tackle the blaze along with four tracker planes and a fire-fighting aircraft.

Lisa Minot, travel editor of The Sun, told Good Morning Britain that more than 3,000 people had been evacuated to the beach from the campsite her and her family were staying on.

No one was being allowed back onto the campsite until firefighters had the blaze under control, she said.

"It was pretty traumatic," Ms Minot said.

The fire is the latest blaze to sweep across tinder dry southern France which is experiencing an exceptionally hot summer.

"The evacuations, at least 10,000, followed the progression of the fire. It's an area that doubles or triples its population in summer," said a fire service official of the blaze near Bormes-les-Mimosas on the Mediterranean coast.

Joan Collins, who has a home down there, appeared to be among those evacuated.

The actress tweeted: "Luckily we were able to evacuate last night, not easy with 11 people in the house! We are all okay".

She later posted a picture of a blaze saying: "Being in the middle of this was a bit of a nightmare".

At least 12 firefighters have been injured and 15 police officers affected by smoke inhalation since the fires broke out on Monday, according to the authorities.

Fires have swept along the Mediterranean coast since Monday, in the mountainous interior and on the island of Corsica. </s> France is asking European neighbors to help it fight fast-growing wildfires that have consumed thousands of acres of forest near the Mediterranean coast, forcing tourists to leave an area that's normally packed with visitors in the summer.

Several large fires have struck near the French Riviera this week, in resort areas near Saint-Tropez and also on the island of Corsica. Their rapid growth is being blamed on dry and windy conditions, and plentiful fuel.

Some 12,000 people — including 3,000 campers — moved to safety in Bormes-les-Mimosas, east of Marseille, after a fire exploded to nearly 2,000 acres on Tuesday, reports Radio France International. Photos from the scene last night show people sleeping under sheets on the beach, with flames and smoke clearly visible inland.

Today, locals are using terms such as "apocalyptic" and "lunar landscape" to describe areas hit by fire. While some fires have been contained, others continue to pose unpredictable threats.

"The blazes on Tuesday had devoured around 4,000 hectares (15 square miles) of land along the Mediterranean coast, in the mountainous interior and on Corsica," France 24 reports, adding that more than 4,000 firefighters are attempting to control the blazes.

Local governments are setting up crisis centers and online tools for helping people share shelter and supplies with each other. </s> BORMES-LES-MIMOSAS, France (AP) — Backed by planes dropping water and fire retardant, more than 1,000 firefighters battled wildfires Wednesday that billowed smoke into the sky over France’s southern Cote d’Azur coast and forced the evacuation of 12,000 people.

Large swaths of Mediterranean forest have been left bare and blackened after three days of fires. About 250 trailer homes, a hangar, an atelier and several vehicles were burned in the blazes but no one so far has been injured, according to the prefect of the Var region.

The residents and tourists were evacuated early Wednesday after a ferocious fire whipped by strong Mistral winds spread from La Londe-Les-Maures to around the picturesque hilltop town of Bormes-Les-Mimosas. About 60 people were evacuated by boat from nearby Cap Benat.

Prime Minister Edouard Philippe traveled to Bormes on Wednesday night to fly over the devastated region and meet with firefighters and evacuees staying in gyms and other public spaces. Dozens spent Tuesday night on the nearby La Lavandou beach.

Further south of the French mainland, flames ate through 2,000 hectares (4,950 acres) of forest on the northern end of the French Mediterranean island of Corsica, in what was the largest blaze in France.

Tourist Francoise Roparse, who was visiting the south of France, was among the evacuees awakened in the middle of the night who found shelter in a sailing club near Bormes.

“First, it was a bit the panic,” Roparse said. “We tried to gather all important things … Obviously, we forgot a lot.”

The local government provided food for those forced from homes, some 2,500 sandwiches, fruit and drinks, community center director Nathalie Franche said.

Regional governments were especially challenged because their economies depend on tourism. The fires hit at the height of the summer season.

Fires were also blazing across parts of bone-dry Portugal and Italy.

As thick black smoke billowed above the crests of hills, Col. Eric Martin of the Var firefighting unit told BFM-TV that French crews were trying to contain the flames that had run through 1,300 hectares (3,210 acres) around Bormes. Four planes and a fire-fighting aircraft dropped water and retardants on the blazes.

The airport in Toulon, a city 30 kilometers (18 miles) from La Londe, was briefly closed on Wednesday, as well the Fort de Bregancon, which sits on a rock off the coast of Bormes.

The wildfires began raging along France’s Mediterranean coast on Monday, forcing smaller, scattered evacuations as flames reached a corner of Saint-Tropez. Since noon Tuesday, French firefighters had conducted about 100 operations.

Further east, another 400 firefighters were battling a blaze in Artigues that burned up to 1,700 hectares (4,200 acres) of forest. In addition, a fire that was contained Tuesday evening in La Croix Valmer after burning two homes and leaving one firefighter seriously injured restarted on Wednesday, the Var prefecture said.

Firefighters said they were exhausted and needed more manpower and equipment. Hundreds of reinforcements were sent in from around France but the president of the Provence-Alpes-Cotes d’Azur area, Renaud Muselier, said on BFM-TV that “we don’t have enough means.”

France asked the European Union for more firefighting planes and Italy provided one on Tuesday. Still, a pilot of a Canadair firefighting aircraft said there were not enough planes in the sky.

Marion Manent, whose husband’s trailer homes were burned, was suspicious about the origins of the fire around La Londe.

“Someone is certainly responsible … for me, he is a killer,” she told BFM-TV.

France’s Mediterranean coast is particularly vulnerable to fires, with its massive back-country forests, often dry in the summer, and hot Mistral winds blowing across the sea to fan the flames.

In central Portugal on Wednesday, billowing smoke was making visibility too poor to use water-dropping aircraft on the region’s flaming dense pine and eucalyptus forests. More than 2,300 firefighters with over 700 vehicles were battling 13 blazes, with flames driven by powerful winds.

The worst-hit areas are 200 kilometers (125 miles) northeast of Lisbon, where the fires briefly forced the evacuation of some hamlets and the closure of a section of highway.

Portugal’s peak fire season, which usually occurs after July 1, began early this year amid a severe drought. Last month, 64 people died trying to flee a forest fire in Portugal.

In Italy, where wildfires have raged for weeks, firefighters responded to 26 requests for water and fire retardant air crops on Tuesday throughout central and southern Italy, including Calabria, Sicily, Sardinia, Lazio and Puglia.

The Coldiretti agriculture lobby said 50 million bees were destroyed along with their hives in fires on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius. Coldiretti said another 20 percent of the bee population is estimated to have become disoriented by all the smoke and died as a result. </s> Wildfires raging through the French Riviera have forced holidaymakers to flee as parts of the region including campsites were evacuated.

Thousands caught up in the safety operation as local authorities said flames had engulfed some 4,000 hectares (9,880 acres) of land in southern France.

La Londe-les-Maures, nearby Bormes-les-Mimosas and La Lavandou in the Var area of Provence saw some 10,000 people evacuated, including 3,000 campers, a statement from the prefecture said.

Four tracker planes and a firefighting aircraft had formed part of the emergency response after fires became ferocious at around 11pm last night.

Hundreds of firefighters are battling to bring several blazes under control since they broke out on Monday, including the one which has scorched 800 hectares in Var and another in northern Corsica.

The picturesque corner of southern France has long been a popular holiday destination and is at the start of the summer season.

Planes were seen contributing to the emergency response, after French authorities asked the European Union for help.

Lisa Minot, a British journalist who had been visiting a campsite at Bormes-les-Mimosas in Var, claimed thousands of people were asked to leave in the middle of the night.

She told BBC News this morning: "The fires have been going all night, our campsite has its own beach and at two o'clock this morning they evacuated everybody.

"There are about 1,000 pitches in the campsite, they evacuated everyone down to the beach and we have been here ever since.

"There are very strong winds ... and this is what is hampering the efforts to fight the fire, because they really cannot predict where the flames are going to go next."

She said around 3,000 people had been moved to the beach and asked not to move by authorities, adding: "The sun has come up and it is going to be 31 degrees today, but because of the pool smoke that is over the entire sky, the sun is not as hot as it probably could be."
Firefighters battle wildfires across southern France, including one in Corsica.