Bormes-les-Mimosas — Firefighters in southern France on Wednesday spent a third day battling blazes that have forced more than 10,000 people to flee in a region heaving with holiday makers and left chunks of coastal forest a blackened mess. Thousands of tourists fled to the safety of public shelters after a fire broke out overnight in the village of Bormes-les-Mimosas, on the Cote d’Azur, and swept towards the area’s campsites. Firefighters are also trying to extinguish infernos in the mountainous hinterland, on the island of Corsica and in Portugal. The head of the rescue operation in Bormes-les-Mimosas, Serge La Vialle, said more than 550 firefighters backed by five water bomber aircraft had not yet managed to contain the flames. "It’s moving slowly and even growing a bit," he said. Some of the evacuees ended up spending the night on the beach, but many families took shelter in a local gymnasium and public hall where volunteers served up drinks and breakfast. Amelie, a German tour...
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