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French local authorities reported that a large fire broke out on Sunday in several towns on the Mediterranean coast near Fréjus, forcing residents to evacuate after the flames spread due to strong winds and drought conditions.

Regional governor Simon Babre told BFM TV: "The fire spread extremely quickly amid this heatwave and severe drought." The governor's office said the fire had consumed about 180 hectares by Sunday evening.

Television footage showed huge flames advancing behind houses built on a hillside, a familiar sight in the French Riviera region, as thick clouds of black smoke rose above pine and cypress trees.

Train services between the Mediterranean port of Toulon and Les Arcs, where the fire is spreading, were suspended due to the blaze.

The World Meteorological Organization warned last month that the record temperatures that swept across Western Europe for over a week in late June would increase the risk of wildfires, given forecasts of continued high temperatures, significantly lower humidity, and dry vegetation.

The Reuters Climate Observatory predicted that the maximum temperature in Les Arcs would reach 38 degrees Celsius, about 11.4 degrees Celsius higher than the average maximum recorded on this day, July 19, between 1961 and 1990.

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