Rain brings relief to France fires

PARIS: A forest fire that flared anew in southern France sent 1,000 more people fleeing while overnight rain brought blazes elsewhere in the country under control, officials said on Sunday.

France has been buffeted this summer by a historic drought as well as a series of heatwaves and several forest fires. A fire that had been raging since Monday in the southern Aveyron region appeared to be under control and dying out on Saturday afternoon when it suddenly reignited in a "virulent" manner, gobbling up 500 more hectares (1,235 acres), the prefecture said.