Paris: French firefighters struggled on Tuesday to load a major fire in the South Var area, because Minister of Home Affairs Gerald Darmanin said he would visit the area to monitor the situation.
Authorities urged people to stay away from the flames, near the village of Gonfaron, about 50 km (30 miles) west of the tourist city of Riviera St Tropez.
Darmanin said he would go to Gonfaron, adding that more than 600 firefighters handle flames and reinforcements needed will be sent as soon as possible to protect the population.
Regional government officials for Var said 12 campsites have been evacuated, and 4,000 hectares (9,880 hectares) of land have been burned.
Very hot weather has reached many Mediterranean regions in recent weeks.
Two forest fires, fanning strong winds, gathered out of control near Athens on Monday, forcing village evacuation.
French Firefighters Battle Wildfire in the South Var
