A large fire broke out on Monday in three communities in southern France, including the seaside resort of Argelès-sur-Mer, leading to the hasty evacuation of more than 3,000 people from various camps, according to the fire department and the regional government.

The fire broke out “shortly after 17:00” (local time; at 18:00 Greek time) in Eastern Pyrenees, a prefecture that neighbors Spain, the authorities of the prefecture explained to AFP, clarifying how it has spread in “4,800 acres in a peri-urban zone with a large concentration of tourists”.

The fire is on its way to “being contained but the full mobilization of firefighters continues”, they reported at around 01:00 (02:00 Greek time). It affects three communes, Saint-André, Sorrento and Arzelle-sur-Mer.

“The situation is extremely delicate due to extreme heat, dryness and wind gusts of up to 80 kilometers per hour,” according to the prefectural coast.

More than 3,000 people were evacuated from four camps, according to the fire department.

About “430 firefighters” have been working since the fire broke out, the prefecture said. They were supported by “eight Canadairs, three Dashes and three firefighting helicopters. The aerial means will resume the drops as soon as dawn.”

No civilian casualties were reported in the area, but 17 firefighters were slightly injured, according to authorities.

The Pyrenees-Orientales is the region of France most affected by drought.

Samuel Molly, the mayor of Saint Andre, spoke of a “catastrophic” situation. “We are facing a fire (of intensity) that we have never seen before,” he told local radio station France Bleu Roussillon, speaking of “a lot of damage” that remains to be assessed.

The mayor of Arzélé, Antoine Parra, emphasized that the fire is “very difficult to control”. “The camp was completely burned down” and “people lost their homes”, he emphasized last night speaking to the same radio station.