Interior Minister Gerard Collomb announced that France would be adding six more firefighting planes to its fleet during a visit to Corsica Tuesday. But the blaze had already gutted 400 hectares of coastal forest in an area dotted with homes, he said. Southeast France is experiencing an exceptionally hot, dry summer that has made it especially vulnerable to fires. A proliferation in the numbers of homes, roads and power lines near forests also increased the fire hazard, he added. Portugal, meanwhile, which last month suffered deadly forest fires, has been battling fresh blazes since Sunday in centre of the country, forcing the evacuation of around 10 villages.

Source: The Nation Bangkok July 25, 2017 21:11 UTC