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. 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. Their rapid growth is being blamed on dry and windy conditions, and plentiful fuel. 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. 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.
Wildfires prompt the evacuation of 12,000 people along the French Riviera, while more than 4,000 firefighters and French Armed Forces personnel backed by 19 water-bomber planes are mobilised to extinguish the flames.