Sun-seekers flee as flames take over the French Riviera

Sunbathers are being evacuated from the beach in Le Lavandou, French Riviera, as plumes of smoke rise in the air from burning wildfires, Wednesday, July 26, 2017. French authorities ordered the evacuation of up to 12,000 people around a picturesque hilltop town in the southern Cote d'Azur region as fires hopscotched around the Mediterranean coast for a third day Wednesday. (AP Photo/Claude Paris)

Dame Joan Collins was one of many forced to flee as the blaze became ferocious. Hundreds of fire-fighters have now been drafted in to try and bring what is now several fires under control.

French authorities said swathes of the Var area of Provence had been evacuated, involving the displacement of some 10,000 people - including 3,000 campers.

Tourists were seen camped out on beaches overnight - while the glare of the morning sun was darkened by rising smoke.

An aerial view shows plumes of smoke rising in the air from burning wildfires in the outskirts of Bormes-les-Mimosas, French Riviera, Wednesday, July 26, 2017. French authorities ordered the evacuation of up to 12,000 people around a picturesque hilltop town in the southern Cote d'Azur region as fires hopscotched around the Mediterranean coast for a third day Wednesday. (AP Photo/Nadine Achoui-Lesage)

Local emergency services said flames had engulfed some 9,880 acres of land in southern France, where the population swells during summer because of popular tourist resorts.

Best-selling novelist Robert Harris was also forced to leave where he was staying near Bormes-les-Mimosas and posted updates of the evacuation, which began at 2am yesterday.

He commended the “brave” pompier emergency fire services.

Four tracker planes and a firefighting aircraft had formed part of the emergency response after the intensity of the fire grew at around 11pm on Tuesday, a statement from the Var prefecture said.

French authorities were forced to turn to the European Union to request help as the fires continued.

Meanwhile UK tour operators can resume selling holidays in Tunisia for the first time since the 2015 Sousse massacre.