Dutch tourists again evacuated due to natural disaster; This time wildfires in France

It seems that Dutch tourists just can’t catch a break this summer. After previous evacuations due to storms in Italy, flooding in Slovenia, and wildfires on the Greek island of Rhodes and the Hawaiian island of Maui, more Dutch tourists were evacuated from campsites in the south of France due to a large fire nearby, Hart van Nederland reported.

The fire is raging in Saint-André, a town near the tourist resort of Argelès-sur-Mer. An estimated 300 hectares are on fire.

The emergency services evacuated at least three campsites and several homes. About 35,000 people were evacuated and received shelter in local buildings like the sports hall. Exactly how many Dutch tourists are among them is not yet clear.

On X, formerly Twitter, Dutch tourists report seeing the flames getting closer and several fire engines passing by. The French authorities deployed 13 planes, three helicopters, and 500 firefighters to try and get the blaze under control. The fire has destroyed several houses and vehicles, but no casualties have been reported so far.