New flames thwart French efforts to fight Riviera wildfire

A wildfire that has forced thousands to flee and ravaged woodlands near the French Riviera is raging for a fourth day despite calmer winds and cooler weather

LE LUC, France -- Just when fire officials thought a huge wildfire near the French Riviera might be slowing down, a new pocket of flames shot up. And just as a water-dumping helicopter finished dousing one hot spot, another ignited. Despite calmer winds and cooler weather, the fire that has forced thousands to flee and ravaged woodlands raged for a fourth day Thursday, defying some 1,200 firefighters struggling to bring it under control. The blaze, which has killed two people and injured 26, is the latest among numerous large wildfires to have scorched the Mediterranean region this summer. The spokesman for the regional fire service, Florent Dossetti, called it one of the worst forest fires to hit southern France in centuries. The fire has burned 8,100 hectares (20,015 acres) of forest since it started Monday about 40 kilometers (24 miles) inland from the coastal resort of Saint-Tropez. Several thousand people have been forced to evacuate campgrounds, hotels and homes across the region at the height of summer vacation in France.