France wildfires force thousands to flee

Two wildfires in southern France forced several thousand people to flee before the blazes were brought under control, officials said on Monday. Some 3,000 holiday makers were evacuated from a camping site to a municipal building in the coastal town of Canet-en-Roussillon, near the city of Perpignan, in the face of a fire fanned by strong winds, rescue services said in a statement. The fire, which destroyed one mobile home and partially damaged five others, was brought under control, they said.