Wildfire in Southern France forces evacuations VIDEO

A new wildfire has burned through 2,500 hectares in France's southern Var department, forcing authorities to evacuate around 400 residents.

The blaze broke out on Tuesday afternoon in mountainous terrain near the village of Cotignac and spread rapidly within hours, threatening several nearby communities, Caliber.Az reports, Russian media.

Around 400 people were evacuated from Cotignac and surrounding villages, while about 2,300 households were left without electricity.

The fire destroyed several homes.

More than 1,200 firefighters have been deployed to battle the blaze, supported by four firefighting aircraft and a helicopter coordinating aerial operations.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov