Wildfire raging near French Riviera kills 2, injures 27

By DANIEL COLE and SYLVIE CORBET
Associated Press

BORMES-LES-MIMOSAS, France (AP) — A wildfire near the French Riviera has killed two people and is still burning out of control. Over 1,100 firefighters were battling flames fueled by wind and drought in the forests of the popular tourist region and over 7,000 people have been forced to evacuate. A local official said the bodies of the two victims were found in a house that had burned down near the town of Grimaud. The prefecture of the Var region said at least 27 others have suffered smoke inhalation or minor fire-related injuries. The forest fire started Monday evening 40 kilometers (24 miles) inland from the coastal resort of Saint-Tropez. It had consumed 17,300 acres of forest by Wednesday morning.