Fires destroy 1,400 hectares of forest in southern France

Flames from a burning wildfire are see near homes in Carros, near Nice, France, July 24, 2017. REUTERS/Eric Gaillard

PARIS (Reuters) - Fires have destroyed some 1,400 hectares of forest and woodlands in the south of France and the island of Corsica on Monday, authorities said.

The biggest fire was in the village of Bastidonne, in the Vaucluse region, where fires, intensified by strong winds, consumed some 600 hectares of forest.

About 100 residences were evacuated in the village of Mirabeau and a dozen of horses in a stable were also moved to safer ground.

A helicopter drops water as flames and smoke from a burning wildfire fills the sky in Carros, near Nice, France, July 24, 2017. REUTERS/Eric Gaillard

Part of the A51 highway and the railway line between Briançon and Marseille have been closed temporarily, and public access to several forest areas has been suspended, prefecture officials said.

There were also forest fires in Corsica, in the city of Carros close to Nice and in the resort town of Saint-Tropez, authorities said.

A prefecture spokesman said that early Monday evening the fires were not yet under control but the situation was evolving favorably as weather conditions were improving.

A Canadair firefighting aircraft drops water on a wildfire which burns a forest in Carros, near Nice, France, July 24, 2017. REUTERS/Eric Gaillard

(Reporting by Marc Leras and Matthias Galante; Writing by Geert De Clercq)

A man waters the roof of his house with a garden hose as flames and smoke from a burning wildfire are seen nearby in Carros, near Nice, France, July 24, 2017. REUTERS/Eric Gaillard

A Canadair firefighting aircraft drops water on a wildfire which burns a forest in Peyrolles, France, July 24, 2017. REUTERS/Jean-Paul Pelissier

Smoke and flames from wildfire burn trees in woods near a river in Peyrolles, France, July 24, 2017. REUTERS/Jean-Paul Pelissier

A man evacuates a horse as smoke from a burning wildfire fills the sky in Carros, near Nice, France, July 24, 2017. REUTERS/Eric Gaillard

A Canadair firefighting aircraft drops water on a wildfire which burns a forest in Carros, near Nice, France, July 24, 2017. REUTERS/Eric Gaillard

A Canadair firefighting aircraft drops water on a wildfire which burns a forest in Carros, near Nice, France, July 24, 2017. REUTERS/Eric Gaillard

A fireman walks past vehicles that were destroyed by a burning wildfire in Carros, near Nice, France, July 24, 2017. REUTERS/Eric Gaillard

A fire vehicle drives on a road past trees that were destroyed by a burning wildfire in Carros, near Nice, France, July 24, 2017. REUTERS/Eric Gaillard

A Canadair firefighting aircraft is seen during wildfire which burns a forest in Carros, near Nice, France, July 24, 2017. REUTERS/Eric Gaillard

A helicopter drops water as smoke from a burning wildfire fills the sky in Carros, near Nice, France, July 24, 2017. REUTERS/Eric Gaillard

Vehicles that were destroyed by a burning wildfire are seen near a damaged home in Carros, near Nice, France, July 24, 2017. REUTERS/Eric Gaillard

A firefighter sprays water onto trees and brush to fight a wildfire in Carros, near Nice, France, July 24, 2017. REUTERS/Eric Gaillard

A firefighting helicopter flies above smoke from a wildfire which burns in Peyrolles, France, July 24, 2017. REUTERS/Jean-Paul Pelissier