Europe Fire rages across Provence Over 1,000 firefighters were called to the rescue More than 1,000 firefighters battled a forest fire that has devastated acres of pine forest in the south east Provence region of France, and is believed to have been caused by arson.
Police say they want to interview two men in connection with the blaze.
French Prime Minister Lionel Jospin, who flew over the area in a helicopter, described the scene as an environmental disaster. Reports said that the fire continued to burn in small areas although officials said it had been contained. The area was made famous by Vincent van Gogh who painted some of his best known works there. Rescue workers evacuated the 2,300 inhabitants of the village of Mouries on Friday morning. The firefighters, using some 250 vehicles to battle the blaze, called in six Canadair aircraft, a Hercules C-130 and a Fokker on Friday morning to extinguish the flames.