At least 12,000 people have been forced to flee campsites and homes as a new fire broke out along the French Riviera.

Wildfires have already consumed swathes of forest in tourist-packed southeastern France in recent days, as well as on the island of Corsica.

The new blaze, in the middle of the holiday season, is raging near Bormes-les-Mimosas, southwest of the popular resort Saint-Tropez on the Mediterranean coast.

The fire broke out just before 11pm on Tuesday and burned 800 hectares of forest by Wednesday morning, with 540 firefighters sent to tackle the blaze.

Brits flee to the beach to escape forest fires

Around 3,000 campers were among those evacuated from La Londe, La Lavandou and Borme-les-Mimosas.


Visiting the scene on Wednesday night, French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said: "The situation remains difficult, I must say it.

"Like me, you feel the wind is blowing."

Among those evacuated were British holidaymakers at the Camp du Domaine campsite in Bormes-les-Mimosas.

All 1,000 camping plots across the site were evacuated, according to Oliver Williams, a deputy head teacher from Redhill, Surrey, who is staying at the resort with his family.

He told Sky News: "My wife woke me up about two o'clock this morning, saying she'd heard the car alarms and people shouting 'allez, allez'.

Image: Smoke rises from the wildfire in Bormes les Mimosas

"They were chucking everything in the back of a car and trying to get out. That was all a bit surreal and it took a moment to really sink in."

Mr Williams' family headed to the campsite's private beach, where many of those evacuated, including French, German and Dutch tourists, had gathered.

"We stayed from about 2am until about 7am and then we were thinking we could probably make our way back to the plot," he said.

"But we were told we weren't allowed to go back because the Canadairs were about to fly over and drop water on to the fire.

Image: A water bomber plane works to extinguish the wildfire

"That's mixed with some chemicals so they keep people well back."

Mr Williams praised French firefighters for their "absolutely amazing job" in tackling the multiple blazes in the area.

Fellow Briton Lisa Minot, The Sun's travel editor, is also staying at the resort - where the campsite's sprinkler system was being used in an attempt to stop the blaze jumping across from the hills.

Image: Oliver Williams was evacuated from the Camp du Domaine campsite at 2am

She said: "Everybody was told to evacuate to the beach and they're still there and they have not allowed us to go back to our caravan.

"It's utter chaos, there are no provisions or anything else... there's no one telling us what to do."

Image: Tourists evacuate the beach as smoke fills the sky above a burning hillside in Bormes-les-Mimosas, in the Var department Image: Wildfires have consumed swathes of forest in southeastern France during holiday season Image: People watch at a forest fire near Seillons Image: Firefighters try to extinguish a fire burning in Artigues Image: Beach-goers look at a forest fire in La Croix-Valmer, near Saint-Tropez in the south of France Image: A firefighter jumps off the trunk of an uprooted tree following a forest fire in Ramatuelle Image: Ramatuelle Image: A Canadair firefighting plane drops water on the forest fire in La Croix-Valmer Image: France asked for Europe's help in fighting the wildfires. Here people walk along the beach in La Croix-Valmer as a fire rages nearby Image: Tourists watch from Cavalaire-sur-Mer as smoke rises from the La Croix-Valmer fire Image: The La Croix-Valmer fire Image: Smoke fills the sky as a firefighting plane releases water to extinguish a wildfire near Seillons Image: Seillons Image: Seillons Image: Wildfires also raged on the French Mediterranean island of Corsica Image: Flames threatened homes in the northeastern town of Biguglia Image: Around 1,800 hectares of forest and several vehicles were destroyed. Continue through for more images from Corsica /

Local tourist site Fort de Bregancon, the former official retreat of French presidents, has been shut due to the fire.

Amid other blazes burning through the region, people were pictured on the beach at La Croix-Valmer near Saint-Tropez watching as firefighting aircraft dropped water on a raging forest fire.

Officials said that blaze had been contained on Tuesday, with the local mayor describing a "disaster area" that had been left by the flames.

France fires threaten UK holidaymakers

In Corsica, residents spoke of "apocalyptic" scenes after a blaze engulfed 1,800 hectares of forest, burning several vehicles and threatening homes.

In Carros, north of Nice on the mainland, locals described waking up to a "lunar landscape" after a fire.

More than 4,000 firefighters and troops have been deployed in total, along with 19 water bomber planes, since the fires broke out in France on Monday.

ATTENTION , en raison des incendies sur #Bormeslesmimosas Le Fort de Brégançon sera donc fermé au public aujourd'hui, mercredi 26 juillet. pic.twitter.com/uIbaHExTTj — Bormes les Mimosas (@bormestourisme) July 26, 2017

Six more of the planes have been ordered by the French government while extra firefighters have been drafted in from the north of the country.

At least 12 firefighters have been injured and 15 police officers affected by smoke inhalation.

France has asked the EU for help as it deals with the fires, with two firefighting planes sent by Italy.

Italy and Portugal are also dealing with fires - Portugal has 2,300 firefighters battling 13 blazes, while in Italy firefighters have responded to 26 requests in the country's central and southern areas.