A firefighting plane battling a forest fire near the southern French commune of Generac crashed on Friday, killing its pilot, local authorities said.

The accident occurred at 5:20 p.m. local time as more than 500 firefighters and police officers were fighting three separate fires in the Gard department of France.

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"A Civil Security tracker pilot tragically lost his life while bravely fighting an ongoing fire," Gard's police department said in a statement. "A judicial inquiry is underway under the authority of the public prosecutor who has visited the site."

The blaze has destroyed nearly 800 hectares (1,980 acres) of forest, heathland and vineyards in the area around Generac since Tuesday. Authorities were battling three separate fires on Friday near the small communes of Vauvert, Generac and Montignargues.

Regional prosecutor Eric Maurel said the fire may have been started deliberately.

The tracker plane is the smallest aircraft to fight forest fires, with the ability to carry up to 3,600 liters (9,511 gallons) of water.

French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe and Interior Minister Christophe Castaner both took to Twitter to offer their condolences.

Philippe said he felt "deep emotion" over the pilot's death. "All my support for the pilots of the [Civil Security], to all those who fight against fire, and to their families," he wrote.

Castaner expressed "great sadness" and said his "first thoughts go to the family and comrades of this firefighter, committed to protecting us with infinite bravery."

Wildfires envelope Siberia, choke Russian cities Huge environmental impact The image shows an aerial view of the wildfires in Russia's Siberia. Massive forest fires are a common occurrence in the region, but the magnitude of this year's blazes has reached an exceptional level with fears of a long-term effect on the environment.

Wildfires envelope Siberia, choke Russian cities High temperatures More than 3.2 million hectares (7.9 million acres) were on fire on Monday alone, mainly in the vast regions of Yakutia in the north and Krasnoyarsk and Irkutsk in Siberia, authorities said. The fires, triggered by dry thunderstorms in temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit), were spread by strong winds, Russia's federal forestry agency said.

Wildfires envelope Siberia, choke Russian cities Slow to act The picture shows a woman taking part in firefighting exercises for volunteers at the Mechta [Dream] forest summer camp outside Moscow. Russian authorities have been slow to declare emergencies and firefighting efforts have been scaled back over economic concerns. The lackluster response has prompted residents to post pleas for help and demands for action online.

Wildfires envelope Siberia, choke Russian cities Accelerating global warming The fires could exacerbate climate change, warn experts. Greenpeace says almost 12 million hectares have been burnt this year, causing significant CO2 emissions and reducing the future capacity of forest to absorb the carbon dioxide. Some scientists posted satellite images from NASA showing the clouds of smoke reaching Arctic areas.

Wildfires envelope Siberia, choke Russian cities Smog engulfs cities The smoke from the wildfires has affected not only small settlements, but also major cities in western Siberia and the Altai region as well as the Urals such as Chelyabinsk and Yekaterinburg, and disrupted air travel. The image shows how the smoke has enveloped the city of Kemerovo in southern Siberia. Author: Srinivas Mazumdaru



dv/cmk (AFP, dpa)

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