Volume 9 - 2022 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2022.937795 Coastal lagoons are subjected to ever-increasing direct or indirect anthropic pressures and are inexorably deteriorating with serious issues regarding their resilience we assessed the functioning and evolution of the highly disturbed Biguglia coastal lagoon (Mediterranean Sea Corsica) through an ecosystem-based approach (EBA) using multiple biotic and abiotic proxies (hydro-climatic context and eutrophication) considering its connectivity to sea and watershed and biological compartments (macrophytes and invasive species) and taking into account human influence (management actions and fishing activities) The aim of this work is firstly to provide a comprehensive analysis of its long-term (2000–2021) ecological evolution trajectory and then to anticipate management strategies for supporting its conservation and restoration and the maintenance of ecosystem services it offers Results revealed that while the lagoon showed these days a good capacity to recover after disturbance and absorb change it recently exhibited considerable changes in its phytoplankton community composition developed an increased susceptibility to biological invasion and experienced a drastic reduction in fish stocks The major interannual variations of the mean salinity strongly dependent on management interventions beyond natural climatic variability the lagoon may no longer be able to cope with even small disturbances which could then be sufficient to reach a breakpoint and tip the system permanently into undesired/degraded states We demonstrated that local and punctual management actions are not always beneficial for the entire ecosystem or even detrimental in some instances Such a retrospective ecosystem-based approach is fundamental for producing the holistic insights required to implement efficient integrated ecosystem management This further helps enhance lagoon resilience and hence preserve its ecosystem services in the context of increasing global changes Such lessons are useful anywhere for comparable ecosystems In this work, we explored the ecological trajectories of the Biguglia lagoon, which is a relevant example of Mediterranean coastal lagoons and can be considered a social–ecological system in its urbanized setting (Pasqualini et al., 2020) The originality of this work consists of the application of an ecosystem-based approach (EBA) to the lagoon socio-ecosystem over the last 20 years (2000–2021) We integrated multiple abiotic and biological compartments in the ecology of the system and also its connectivity to its watershed and exchanges with the sea The aim of this study is to provide a large-scale comprehension of the lagoon system functioning through the tracing of long-term ecological evolution trajectories in order to provide support to the conservation or restoration of this environment and the maintaining of ecosystem services it offers as well as improving useful scientific and methodological knowledge for future management of other similar environments What is the global ecological evolution context of the lagoon in the last 20 years (2000–2021; hydro-climatic context connectivity of the lagoon and eutrophic situation primary producers (macrophytes and phytoplankton) In the particular eutrophication context of the Biguglia lagoon how has the phytoplankton community evolved since 2010 observations Is the system globally resilient and resistant and which information can be provided to understand which factors influence these capacities and therefore help future management strategies according to its high dependence on sea and freshwater inputs and the major impacts of water flux management performed under the government of the Collectivity of Corsica’s service Figure 1 Study site localization: main elements of the Biguglia lagoon watershed, sampled stations, and Bastia-Poretta Airport meteorological station (Météo-France) are represented (figure from Pasqualini et al., 2017—modified) a monthly database was also constructed to discriminate and compare the extension of dry periods between different years In order to describe the global context of the study site, monthly cumulative water discharge and nutrient (nitrate, NO3−) contents of the two main rivers of the watershed (Bevinco and Golo rivers) were obtained from publicly accessible data websites (http://www.naiades.eaufrance.fr/, https://www.hydro.eaufrance.fr/) at several available sampling stations from 2000 to 2021 located at 9 km (Bevinco) and 13 km (Golo) upstream the lagoon Annual mean values of NO3− discharge were then obtained based on monthly available data by multiplying the nutrient concentration by water discharge Values obtained were then expressed as tonnes of NO3− per year mean values for the entire basin were calculated Potential relationships between nutrient concentrations in the lagoon NO3− inputs and flow from main rivers (Bevinco for the northern and Golo for the southern part) and monthly cumulative rainfall were assessed through the non-parametric Spearman’s rank-order correlation tests applied on available monthly data Qualitative information on the opening of the grau and the outlet of the Golo river were obtained by visual analysis of available satellite pictures from Landsat 4/5 (30-m resolution), Landsat 7 (15-m resolution), and Sentinel2 (10-m resolution) systems (https://glovis.usgs.gov/) Sixteen-day cycle data were available from January 2000 to October 2021 the outlets were assigned a status of “opened” (1) To represent dominant trends over the study period All the years considered within our study presented at least 10 observations seasonally distributed along the year information on human-mediated openings of the grau was collected from the Natural Reserve of the Biguglia Lagoon (RNEB data) and expressed as the declared number of days of artificial openings per year Available monthly data at the two stations covered the years 2010 Some missing months are due to the impossibility of sample analysis performance or technical problems impeding field sampling (2020) Data were treated for the two main sampling stations separately original data were grouped into five main classes: “Bacillariophyceae” (or diatoms) “Dinophyceae” (or dinoflagellates) All individuals that could not be assigned to one of these five classes were grouped in the class “Others” To explore the evolution of the two dominant classes we calculated their ratio as the abundance of dinoflagellates over the sum of diatoms and dinoflagellates A finer qualitative analysis of dominant and blooming (cellular density >100,000 cell L−1) taxonomic units was also performed Figure 2 Multi-parameter evolutions over the 2000–2021 period for watershed and lagoon characterization over time. (A) Meteorological context is shown by annual cumulative rainfall (mm) and mean air temperature (°C), together with respective means over the standard reference period (1991–2020; WMO-No. 1203 © World Meteorological Organization, 2017 (B) Annual mean nitrate loads (t year−1) for the Bevinco and Golo rivers (C) Nutrients monthly mean concentrations (NO3− (D) Mean monthly patterns of salinity (PSU) with light blue halo representing standard deviation of sampling stations and water temperature (°C) together with annual management effort on sea channel opening (expressed as days spent on artificial intervention) and major remarkable events (E) Mean annual open/close status of the sea channel and Golo river outlet Global trend showed rainfall was positively correlated with rivers’ flow and NO3− inputs from the watershed (Spearman’s rank-order correlation coefficients p< 0.05 for both) and negatively with the salinity of the lagoon (Spearman’s rank-order correlation coefficient A significant positive correlation was found between NO3− and NO2− concentrations in the lagoon with NO3− inputs from the watershed (Spearman’s rank-order correlation coefficients respectively) and Bevinco and Golo rivers’ water discharge (Spearman’s rank-order correlation coefficients All nutrient concentrations within the lagoon were significantly negatively correlated with the salinity of the lagoon (Spearman’s rank-order correlation coefficients Parallel to these variations, some trends could be identified in the status of grau and outlet of the Golo river. From 2000 to 2006, both outlets tended to close, except in 2005 (Figure 2E). Then, an opening tendency went on until 2010, followed by a gradual closing trend that is still ongoing these days (Figure 2E) 1918] was also observed between 2015 and 2017 touching the lowest and highest densities at SB of 1.18 × 105 cell L−1 (December) and 1.79 × 106 cell L−1 (October) Figure 4 Phytoplankton community description over the study period considered (2010–2020) Class relative percentage composition (A) and Dinoflagellates/Diatoms+Dinoflagellates ratio (B) are represented for the two stations Northern Basin (NB) (B) Available monthly data on Dinoflagellates/Diatoms+Dinoflagellates ratio are represented by black points while boxplots represent annual ratios with median (dark horizontal line) and mean (white lozenge) values Figure 5 Bloom events and relative phytoplankton species (or taxonomic unit) were recorded in the lagoon over the 2010–2020 period for North Basin (NB) and South Basin (SB) stations. Taxonomic units are color-coded by class (for color legend see Figure 4A) White cases indicate unavailable samples; lightest colors indicate that samples were available but no dominance was highlighted; dark colors designate the dominance of the corresponding taxonomic unit; darkest colors indicate a bloom (>100,000 cell L−1) of the corresponding taxonomic unit we assisted in a novel drastic decline in submerged angiosperm coverage together with the modification of species distribution patterns like the expansion of freshwater species S pectinata to the northern part of the lagoon (linked to decreased salinity) and the proliferation of opportunistic green macroalgae melas seem to be less concerning in the Biguglia lagoon case as they were long-established and seem to have reached an equilibrium in the system since the Biguglia lagoon system seems already altered on the ecological level mainly on fisheries and tourism (avifauna) are not to be neglected for future sustainable development stressing once again that global ecosystem approach results are essential for this purpose In a “future management” set of mind and ability to quickly react to disturbance through the description of different biotic and anthropic elements’ patterns and trends over ~20 years Figure 6 Scheme of functioning dynamics of the Biguglia lagoon: past and present evolutions of main compartment considered in the study and suggestions in the case of non-application or application of “resilience thinking” concept for future management Created with pictograms from the Integration and Application Network University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (ian.umces.edu/media-library) Hence, what can be done to strengthen the system resistance and resilience and prevent further degradation? First, it is important to consider that multiple objectives are desired for the Biguglia lagoon: the alleviation of its eutrophication, the improvement of fishing activity, and the maintenance of other important ecological services (e.g., ornithological interest and tourism) (Figure 6) to ameliorate and make effectively efficient management actions we believe that stronger concertation between different actors should be foreseen in order to centralize decisional power and coordinate actions in accordance with the global expected or desired vision of the system that can be provided by manager institution this study represented a unique opportunity to stress the importance of EBA for shallow Mediterranean coastal lagoons conservation and management the Biguglia lagoon is a relevant example of Mediterranean coastal lagoons set in a changing context: it is subjected to increasing anthropic pressure and climate change and exhibits multiple signs of degradation Our study revealed a degradation pattern and increased sensitivity to disturbance and we demonstrated how management interventions may not always be beneficial for the entire ecosystem This work is a good example of why a multiple compartment approach is fundamental in lagoon environments putting together all remarkable events and successions observed over 20 years constitutes a holistic representation of the social–ecological system’s functioning If the study can be perceived as very descriptive to a broad audience it meets the perception and expertise of daily contact with the system of scientific researchers who are very aware of the need to cooperate to converge on a spectrum of “desired states” to promote A global ecosystem approach is essential for the understanding of the functioning and resistance/resilience properties of the system and the decision-making for a sustainable evolution in the lagoon environment This is the basis for good integrative management of these systems in order to preserve them and maintain or eventually restore the ecosystem services they provide in a changing world especially in the face of increasing anthropogenic disturbance and climate change Our study is a good starting point in this direction and lays the first stone for a new way of foreseeing the future and constitutes a good foothold for actors involved in management We suggest future investigations should integrate other ecological compartments in order to provide an even deeper insight into the system’s complex network and functioning The datasets generated and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request. Part of the long-term datasets analysed during the current study are available in the REPHY repository, https://doi.org/10.17882/47248 contributed to the data collection and analysis and supervised and contributed to the revision and editing of the manuscript BF contributed to the field sampling and revision and editing of the manuscript SE provided the data from the RNEB and contributed to field sampling AL contributed to the data collection and revision and editing of the manuscript CD contributed to the revision and editing of the manuscript supervised and contributed to the revision and editing of the manuscript and administrated the project and funding acquisition All authors equally contributed to the draft preparation and its redaction and have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript VL was awarded a grant from the Corsican Regional Council and the University of Corsica This study was supported by funding from the French Government and the Corsican Regional Council (CPER Gerhyco project) The authors are grateful to the Biguglia lagoon fish exploiters and the Natural Reserve team for their cooperation during field investigations The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher The Supplementary Material for this article can be found online at: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2022.937795/full#supplementary-material Norme guide pour le dénombrement du phytoplancton par microscopie inversée Google Scholar Potentially toxic epiphytic Prorocentrum (Dinophyceae) species in Greek coastal waters Short-term effects of changes in water management on the limnological characteristics and zooplankton of a eutrophic Mediterranean coastal lagoon (NE Iberian peninsula) Effects of an invasive reef-building polychaete on the biomass and composition of estuarine macroalgal assemblages CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Distribution of picophytoplankton and nanophytoplankton along an anthropogenic eutrophication gradient in French Mediterranean coastal lagoons Belin C., Neaud-Masson N. 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This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited in accordance with accepted academic practice distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms *Correspondence: Viviana Ligorini, bGlnb3JpbmlfdkB1bml2LWNvcnNlLmZy †ORCID: Viviana Ligorini, orcid.org/0000-0001-9846-568X Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher 94% of researchers rate our articles as excellent or goodLearn more about the work of our research integrity team to safeguard the quality of each article we publish July 26, 2017JPEG July 26, 2017JPEG On July 23, 2017, NASA’s Terra satellite detected a thermal anomaly near the town of Biguglia on the French island of Corsica the satellite detected several more hot spots as fires moved closer to the town The wildfires—reportedly started by arsonists then whipped into a frenzy by strong winds—raged in the hills to the west of the coastal community for a few days before firefighters gained control of them On the same day, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on Terra also captured a false-color image of the burn scar that was made with observations of visible and infrared light (bands 7-2-1) The burn scar appears dark brown; unburned forests are dark green Corsica is not the only part of France that has faced wildfires in recent days. Several fires have burned along the French Riviera, forcing tens of thousands of people to evacuate and causing many to sleep outdoors on beaches for safety NASA Earth Observatory images by Joshua Stevens and Jesse Allen, using Terra MODIS data from the Land Atmosphere Near real-time Capability for EOS (LANCE) and modified Copernicus Sentinel data (2017) processed by the European Space Agency View this area in EO Explorer had burned 2,410 square kilometers of land by May 12 Wildfires near the city of Nelson burned amid a hot Drought-parched wetlands in South America have been burning for weeks You don't have permission to access the page you requested What is this page?The website you are visiting is protected.For security reasons this page cannot be displayed The Mediterranean Sea’s most mountainous island dominates this image from the Landsat-8 satellite About 40% of the island’s surface area is dedicated to nature reserves and its mountains are a popular destination for hiking the island boasts over 1000 km of coastline Near the northeastern coast we can see the island’s largest coastal lagoon This nature reserve has been noted for its support of numerous breeding and wintering waterbirds as well as the vulnerable Hermann’s tortoise and long-fingered bat This lagoon is one of the over 2000 sites worldwide considered to be wetlands of international importance by the Ramsar Convention an intergovernmental treaty for the sustainable use of wetlands World Wetlands Day is observed on 2 February the anniversary of the signing of the Convention ESA has been assisting the Ramsar Convention for a decade through the GlobWetland project which provides satellite data to be used to monitor these precious resources will collaborate closely with ESA’s TIGER initiative which trains African water authorities and researchers in exploiting satellite data and Earth observation technology for sustainable water resource management The Etang de Biguglia is not the island’s only Ramsar site: further inland in the central-north part of the island is an active raised bog Other Ramsar sites on the island are two more coastal lagoons about halfway down the east coast and a series of temporary pools in the south These pools in the semi-arid granitic landscape are an uncommon geomorphological phenomenon in the region supporting a diversity of rare species Over the water in the upper-left section of the image we can see condensation trails Contrails form when exhaust particles act as nuclei around which water condenses resulting in elongated cloud-like trails that can last anywhere from minutes to hours They can also form persistent artificial cirrus clouds that can last for days or weeks and can affect Earth’s climate by trapping heat in our atmosphere – Download full high resolution image Whether you're looking for the latest space exploration (Try us out for a month before you pay anything.) French authorities have evacuated more than 10,000 people from parts of southern France ahead of several raging wildfires along the Mediterranean coast Hundreds of firefighters are engaged on the ground and in the air chasing fires driven by strong winds and tinder-dry conditions Photos here are from the past few days along the French Riviera We want to hear what you think about this article. Submit a letter to the editor or write to letters@theatlantic.com A collection of winning and honored images from this year’s nature-photo competition A collection of amazing recent images made with the Hubble Space Telescope Mourners of Pope Francis gathered at the Vatican scenes from the the second weekend of Coachella 2025 and landscapes of the Earth’s arctic and subarctic regions '+n.escapeExpression("function"==typeof(o=null!=(o=r(e,"eyebrowText")||(null!=l?r(l,"eyebrowText"):l))?o:n.hooks.helperMissing)?o.call(null!=l?l:n.nullContext||{},{name:"eyebrowText",hash:{},data:t,loc:{start:{line:28,column:63},end:{line:28,column:78}}}):o)+" \n '+(null!=(o=c(e,"if").call(r,null!=l?c(l,"cta2PreText"):l,{name:"if",hash:{},fn:n.program(32,t,0),inverse:n.noop,data:t,loc:{start:{line:63,column:20},end:{line:63,column:61}}}))?o:"")+"\n"+(null!=(o=(c(e,"ifAll")||l&&c(l,"ifAll")||n.hooks.helperMissing).call(r,null!=l?c(l,"cta2Text"):l,null!=l?c(l,"cta2Link"):l,{name:"ifAll",hash:{},fn:n.program(34,t,0),inverse:n.noop,data:t,loc:{start:{line:64,column:20},end:{line:70,column:30}}}))?o:"")+" Southern areas of France have been ravaged by wildfire over the past few days as several enormous areas of countryside caught fire at once Tens of thousands of acres caught fire during the course of this week as firefighters wage a running battle to keep the blazes under control The worst of the burning has been along France's Mediterranean coast around the chic tourist resort of Saint-Tropez On Wednesday morning, French officials confirmed that 10,000 people had been evacuated in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of the country These dramatic news photographs show how the fires burned through the night leaving little more than scorched earth behind: was completely surrounded by fire and is now an isolated spot of colour in an otherwise blackened area A second view of Biguglia shows how the flames came within a few metres of people's homes This photograph shows the village of Ortale against a backdrop of flames in the nearby hills This shows the blaze near Bormes-Les-Mimosas and were found as burned-out shells near the town of Carros This road near La Croix-Valmer was temporarily impassable a Canadair "water bomber" plane drops its load on the hills around Ortale France asked other EU countries to lend them more planes as the fires spread prompting Italy to give them use of two more water bombers Similar aircraft are seen at work here above Carros This one was also dealing with the blaze near Carros These three are trying to douse a wall of flames near Biguglia Picture the following scene on the French island of Corsica: a local fire service uses a special surveillance camera to detect smoke in the area quickly declare the outbreak of a blaze and mobilise a targeted response the action in the Biguglia municipality on Corsica’s northeastern coast wasn’t one of the many wildfire emergencies in Europe in 2023 it was a demonstration in October 2022 under an EU-funded research project to help regions in Europe counter threats from wildfires The Biguglia exercise used a smoke bomb to simulate the start of a fire and an extensive data network to trigger the rapid-reaction steps It involved a service that has 1 300 firefighters who protect a population in this part of Corsica – the Mediterranean’s fourth-biggest island – that grows to around 400 000 in summer ‘This first demonstration on Corsica was very positive,’ said Michael Pelissier a firefighter who participated in the test As part of the EU project, called SAFERS a similar firefighting exercise took place in the Piedmont region of Italy in February 2023 and two more trials are planned in Greece and Spain toward the end of this year ‘After the next two demonstrations, we would like to push the management system forward in Europe and also beyond,’ said Claudio Rossi, who coordinates the project and is a senior researcher at an Italian research and innovation centre called the Links Foundation in the city of Turin Europe’s research community is joining forces with firefighters to prevent fires from spreading or from happening at all SAFERS is one of several EU projects to combine resources and know-how for tackling wildfires on the continent The focus of SAFERS is primarily on the use of satellites and artificial intelligence to provide information that could help save lives and contain environmental damage ‘The orchestrated utilisation of AI-powered solutions can increase resilience to forest fires,’ Rossi said Running for three and a half years through March 2024 the project features weather and hazard maps input from the general public and other tools to help local authorities prepare for any wildfire emergencies The ultimate goal is to build on the demonstrations in France Italy and Spain and develop a comprehensive wildfire-control system for use around Europe By combining satellite images and other data the system is intended to give first responders decision-makers and ordinary people a clearer view of what’s happening and to facilitate the best responses Earth-observation data from the EU’s Copernicus programme is the primary source of information This would be combined with data collected from smoke detectors A stark reminder that wildfires pose a growing threat in Europe came from news images in July 2023 of tourists fleeing flames on the Greek island of Rhodes and blazes spreading near the Sicilian city of Palermo attention turned to Spain and Portugal where blazes destroyed more than 16 300 hectares of land and forced the evacuation of villages and tourist accommodations The Biguglia municipality on Corsica was chosen as a SAFERS demonstration site in part because of a major fire there in 2017 the summer season has a tendency to expand,’ said Pelissier ‘So we are increasingly threatened by forest fires.’ The EU, which recently doubled its firefighting fleet of aircraft 500 firefighters and 100 vehicles to help control and quell wildfires in Greece alone during the summer of 2023 the EU has also mobilised such support for Cyprus and – outside Europe – Tunisia The moves were closely coordinated with national authorities Another EU-funded project – TREEADS – plans to feature drones high-altitude balloons and satellites in a Europe-wide protection system helicopters or planes – we need to train our communities before the fires happen,’ said Kemal Sarp Arsava Arsava is a senior research scientist at Norway-based RISE Fire Research TREEADS aims to establish a comprehensive fire-management platform covering all three stages of wildfires – before Arsava is a native of Turkey who has also worked and studied in the US he was reminded of the international dimension of the wildfires threat by noticing the effect of Australia’s major outbreak of bushfires at the time Arsava said the blazes caused a slight haze in North America while primarily hurting air quality in South America.  ‘The smoke from all of the wildfires in Australia basically crossed the Pacific Ocean and even changed the colour of the sky in America,’ he said TREEADS began in December 2021 and is due to run until end-May 2025 The initiative brings together research institutes and companies from 14 European countries and Taiwan The team of researchers is developing new technologies that’ll be tested in eight countries represented in the project One plan is to use drones and high-altitude balloons to detect blazes early collect data for fire crews and even aid their actions by dropping fire-suppressant materials A four-layer approach is foreseen: low-altitude drones to locate fire hotspots; mid-altitude drones to drop fire suppressants; high-altitude balloons to provide a broader view; and satellites for the whole picture The trials are due to start early next year The project is also testing a virtual-reality headset to train firefighters who aren’t typically assigned to dealing with wildfires That means teaching city firefighters to deal with blazes in different terrains should the need arise more than 26 technologies including for fire protection and suppression will be enhanced ‘These new technologies will make it easier to fight wildfires in the future,’ said Arsava Research in this article was funded by the EU please consider sharing it on social media Contact Horizon About 12,000 people have been evacuated due to a wildfire in southern France The fire has consumed large areas of forest along the Mediterranean coast in the mountainous interior and on the island of Corsica About 12,000 people have been evacuated due to a wildfire in southern France Photograph: Anne-Christine Poujoulat/AFP/Getty Images Photograph: Marion Leflour/AFP/Getty Images Photograph: Pascal Pochard-Casabianca/AFP/Getty Images By BEN WILKINSON and ARTHUR MARTIN and INDERDEEP BAINS ON THE FRENCH RIVIERA FOR THE DAILY MAIL and PETER ALLEN IN PARIS and JULIAN ROBINSON FOR MAILONLINE This is the terrifying moment a packed bus inched past a raging wildfire as it engulfed a roadside house on the French island of Corsica Tourists can be heard gasping and crying out as the coach drives slowly past the inferno at Biguglia on the island's fire-ravaged north east coast Footage shows huge flames sweeping through a property and sparks drifting across the road as frightened passengers film the blaze on their mobile phones The video emerged as families woke up having spent a second night sleeping on the beach in the French Riviera amid wildfires likened to Dante's inferno Pictures show makeshift camp beds lined up on the sand at Bormes-les-Mimosas and people asleep under their beach towels French authorities said this morning that they are close to containing the fierce blaze - but fear further flareups on this afternoon due to lack of moisture and a pickup in the wind Last night British holidaymakers told of their terror after fleeing for their lives as wildfires threatened upmarket resorts in the region It comes as it emerged two suspected teenage arsonists were in custody in the south of France today after 'criminal activity' was blamed for fires that have brought terror to thousands of holidaymakers This is the terrifying moment a packed bus inched past a raging wildfire as it engulfed a roadside house on the French island of Corsica Vast stretches of scorched earth creeps up to the fences of homes in Biguglia as firefighters desperately battle to save buildings from wildfires in the region Families are waking up after spending a second night sleeping on the beach in the French Riviera as firefighters try to tame wildfires likened to Dante's inferno This was the scene at Bormes-les-Mimosas this morning Holidaymakers who were forced to flee campsites in the area set up makeshift beds on the beach and slept outside for a second night running British holidaymakers told of their terror yesterday after fleeing for their lives as wildfires threatened upmarket resorts on the French Riviera Hundreds of firefighters - backed by water bombing planes - have been battling the fires which have ravaged Portugal They are thought to have set fire to parched shrub land on Tuesday causing one of the blazes that have engulfed more than 15 square miles of countryside president of the Provence regional council told FranceInfo radio station that many of the fires were ‘of criminal origin’ and that the ‘activity of arsonists’ had to be stopped More than 10,000 people – including celebrities and royalty – were forced from homes hotels and campsites in the middle of the night yesterday They described pine trees 'lit up like matches' as the tinderbox forests at the back of the Riviera went up in flames One said the night sky of southern France was 'like Dante's Inferno' leaving normally blue skies black with smoke one local politician said: 'It is a disaster area Tourists were forced to sleep on beaches in makeshift camps woke at a campsite in Bormes-les-Mimosas to discover the hills were ablaze 'We've been coming here for 34 years and I've never seen fires this big,' said Mrs Davies 'When I looked back the whole of the hillside was on fire particularly as I can't run that fast any more The beach was full of people fleeing from the fire and there must have been about 50 children in buggies with worried parents.' said she could see and smell the black smoke then cars came around with sirens and a Tannoy telling everyone to move to the beach' right: The wildfire in the south of France who was staying with her sister Julie Winslet (right) said she came out and 'saw the hills on fire and the sky lit up' Holidaymakers described pine trees 'lit up like matches' as the tinderbox forests at the back of the Riviera went up in flames her 76-year-old husband John and friends David Heslop were spending their second night on the beach Mr Heslop said: 'My biggest fear was the wind was going to change There must be 500 gas canisters and 500 petrol tanks in the campsite told the BBC the night sky was lit up 'like Dante's inferno' 'This was certainly larger than anything we had seen previously.' described 'an explosion with masses of black smoke.. to safety after the wildfire threatened their villa in Gigaro 'Within just two minutes the fires got completely out of control and were spreading fast,' he said was with her husband Bruce in their caravan at Camp du Domaine Pictured: Holidaymakers watch the smoke rise over Les Mimosas who fled in their car after a blaze neared their home in Saint-Tropez A firefighter stands in the middle of a road near flames blazing near the village of Sanguinheira A local man is seen amid forest fire in Bayindir district of Izmir where at least 600 acres of woodland have been destroyed then cars came around with sirens and a Tannoy telling everyone to move to the beach at a beachfront pitch near Camp du Domaine We came out and saw the hills on fire and the sky lit up If it wasn't for those water planes we would have been in serious trouble.' fled in their car after a blaze neared their home in Saint-Tropez 'As soon as the flames touched an umbrella pine said: 'They evacuated everyone down to the beach and we have been here ever since and this is what is hampering the efforts to fight the fire because they really cannot predict where the flames are going to go next.' although Bormes mayor Francois Arizzi said it was arson More than 4,000 firemen have been battling the flames helped by aircraft including water bombers Locals and tourists were evacuated after a ferocious fire spread from La Londe-Les-Maures to around the picturesque hilltop town of Bormes-Les-Mimosas where as many as 3,000 campers were staying Fatherland author Robert Harris was among those evacuated He posted a series of pictures of fires near Cap Benat on Twitter who had been forced to abandon her villa near Saint-Tropez late on Monday said it was 'a nightmare,' while members of the Luxembourg royal family fled their summer home in Cabasson Terrifying photos from Bormes-Les-Mimosas showed flames rising just hundreds of yards away from a campsite where tourists had been sleeping on the sand having been evacuated in the early hours of the morning flames tore through 4,950 acres of forest on the northern end of the French Mediterranean island of Corsica The Luxembourg royal family are among at least 10,000 people to have been evacuated overnight after new wild fires ripped through tourist hot spots in southern France While many tourists evacuated the Cap Benat campsite (pictured being shadowed by smoke) some seemed happy to hunker down and continue enjoying their holiday Ruins: The charred remains of burnt caravans at a warehouse in La Londe-les-Maures after fire swept through the area overnight At least 10,000 people have been evacuated overnight with many forced to camp out on beaches to escape new wild fires ripping through the tourist hot spot of Bormes-les-Mimosas in southern France People walk through the streets of Bormes-les-Mimosas as smoke rises from a fire burning a forest near the seaside town Holidaymakers fled to beaches near Bormes-les-Mimosas on the Mediterranean coast (left) while wildfires burned across southern Europe On the move: Sunbathers were evacuated after heading to the beach this morning in Le Lavandou They were seen carrying their beach chairs away as black smoke rose up from a fire on a nearby hill Hundreds of firefighters - backed by water bombing planes - have been battling the fires which have ravaged Portugal (pictured) Fires in Turkey have destroyed at least 600 acres of woodland in the Aegean province of Izmir (pictured) Meanwhile massive blazes have destroyed thousands of acres of woodland crops and vineyards across Southern Europe British author Robert Harris said he had been among thousands evacuated and posted a series of pictures on Twitter showing fires burning through the undergrowth near the seaside town of Bormes-les-Mimosas described a landscape of blackened headlands fringed by charred umbrella pines There's nothing left,' he said of an area where green forest had once framed the azure waters of the Mediterranean The new blaze came a day after France asked for Europe's help to tackle the flames already raging in the tinder dry south including near the popular resort of Saint-Tropez 'Apocalyptic' wildfires across southern Europe sparked by a series of heatwaves across the continent come as many Britons prepare to set off on their summer holidays this week On Tuesday more than 4,000 firefighters and troops backed by 19 water bombers had already been mobilised to extinguish flames in southern France which have left swathes of charred earth in their wake Beachgoers walked off the beach after being told to leave as a fire raged behind them in Bormes-les-Mimosas About 3,000 of those evacuated from the picturesque coastal village of Bormes-les-Mimosas (pictured) were tourists staying in campgrounds British author Robert Harris posted a series of pictures on Twitter showing fires burning through the undergrowth near Bormes-les-Mimosas The Luxembourg royal family - Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg (right) - were also in Southeastern France and were evacuated from their property Devastation: A woman hugs a firefighter near charred remains of vehicles and buildings destroyed by fire in Bormes-les-Mimosas Flames and smoke fill the sky above a burning hillside as tourists swim on the beach in Bormes-les-Mimosas People play cards at the beach as a fire burns a forest behind them in Bormes-les-Mimosas Tourists evacuate the beach as smoke fills the sky above a burning hillside in Bormes-les-Mimosas in the Var district Firefighters stepped up their battle against flames lapping at Mediterranean forests in the picturesque French hilltop town of Bormes-Les-Mimosas of the firefighting unit in the Var region of the Cote d'Azur said on Wednesday that nearly 600 firefighters were trying to contain the flames that had run through 1,300 hectares of Bormes More than 1,000 firefighters battled infernos which billowed smoke into the sky over France's southern Cote d'Azur coast The Bormes blaze was morphing into the largest in the area as firefighters also fought a fire in nearby La Londes-Les-Maures Pictured: Volunteers distribute food to people evacuated due to wild fires in Bormes-les-Mimosas To the east of Bornes-Les-Mimosas (pictured) A man tries to extinguish a fire burning in Bormes-les-Mimosas wherethousands of people including holidaymakers were evacuated were sparked by a series of heatwaves across the continent A palace spokesperson in Luxembourg told Hello Magazine the Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa are stuck in France after being evacuated Also with them in their property in Cabasson were Henri's father Jean and other members of the family including children At least 12 firefighters have been injured and 15 police officers affected by smoke inhalation since the fires broke out on Monday About 3,000 of those evacuated from the picturesque coastal village of Bormes-les-Mimosas were tourists staying in campgrounds some of whom ended up spending the night in sleeping bags on the beach Village mayor Francois Arizzi said between 10,000 and 12,000 people had been moved to public shelters but that some had preferred to sleep in their cars Other fires have been blamed on discarded cigarettes Tourists sheltered from the sun under trees after being evacuated from villas hotels and campsites in fire-hit Bormes-les-Mimosas An aerial view shows plumes of smoke rising in the air from burning wildfires in the outskirts of Bormes-les-Mimosas Dramatic pictures show flames and massive clouds of smoke from an inferno ripping through woodland near the upmarket French resort of Saint-Tropez This was the scene in the hills of Gigaro in La Croix-Valmer near the glamorous town A woman hots her head in her hands as she reacts to the sight of burnt out houses and vehicles following a fire in Bormes-les-Mimosas A man inspects the damage following a fire in Bormes-les-Mimosas southeastern France as he walks through the wreckage Camping and caravaning guard company owners try to extinguish a fire still burning in Bormes-les-Mimosas People look at the devastated land surrounding their house following a fire in Biguglia on the French Mediterranean island of Corsica Holidaymakers at the Camp du Domaine campsite in Bormes-les-Mimosas told of having to flee at 2am as fire approached Some 1,000 camping plots were abandoned with one British tourist saying there was 'utter chaos' as people flocked to the site's private beach Dramatic footage also showed fires raging further inland British actress Dame Joan Collins has revealed she was among those who fled from her villas in the French Riviera Forest fire in southern France near Le Lavandou & Bormes-les-Mimosas  In a later tweet he said firefighters were 'battling to save Cap & Gaou Benat' A firefighting plane drops fire retardant over a forest near La Londe-les-Maures on the French Riviera this morning Wasteland: A burned out vehicle lies abandoned on a forest road in Carros southern France - one of the worst-hit areas Holidaymakers fled to beaches near Bormes-les-Mimosas on the Mediterranean coast as a huge blaze swept through the area Up to 10,000 people have been evacuated from the region as fires continue to sweep through woodland and forest Residents are pictured trying to extinguish a fire burning in their buildings in Bormes-les-Mimosa People try to extinguish a fire burning in Bormes-les-Mimosas were evacuated overnight after a new wildfire broke out in southern France Mr Harris posted pictures showing fires burning in the woodland overlooking his holiday destination People gather in a gymnasium in Bormes-les-Mimosas after being evacuated as over 10,000 people were evacuated from campsites and homes in southern France as firefighters battled the latest in a string of huge blazes along the Mediterranean coast A woman and her daughter look at a plume of smoke from burning fires that fills the sky in the popular resort in the South of France 'Brave pompiers of Bormes-les-Mimosas worked all night to save hundreds of homes 10,000 people evacuated,' he told his Twitter followers The blazes on Tuesday had devoured around 4,000 hectares (15 square miles) of land along the Mediterranean coast With strong winds and dry brush creating a dangerous mix, the government asked its European Union partners to send two extra fire-fighting planes - a request immediately fulfilled by Italy But one union official denounced what he said was a lack of spare parts preventing all the aircraft required from being put into action Interior Minister Gerard Collomb announced on Tuesday that France would be adding six more firefighting planes to its fleet during a visit to Corsica A fire in La Croix-Valmer near Saint-Tropez a resort frequented by the rich and famous local fire chief Philippe Gambe de Vergnes said Tuesday As tourists continued to sunbathe on the beaches hundreds of firefighters tackled a blaze spanning 200 hectares at Giagaro close to the glamorous holiday destination The scarred remains of land burnt to a crisp by a forest fire in Ramatuelle Evacuated people found refuge on the beach and look at a fire burning the forest in Bormes-les-Mimosas Tourists do their best to enjoy their holidays in the French Riviera while huge fires continue to rage in La Croix-Valmer A firefighting helicopter drops water over a forest fire in Carros near Nice as blazes broke out across the French Riviera A firefighter works overtime to put out a forest fire near the small village of Carvoeiro But the blaze had already consumed 400 hectares of coastal forest in an area dotted with homes More than 200 people had to be moved from the area La Croix-Valmer's deputy mayor Rene Carandante described a desolate landscape of blackened headlands fringed by charred umbrella pines where green forest had once framed the azure waters of the Mediterranean 300 hectares of pines and oaks went up in smoke near the village of Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume A local official accused the authorities of failing to regularly remove dry undergrowth sparked by a series of heatwaves across the region Emergency services last night continued to work around the clock to battle the infernos which are being fanned by high winds and have consumed nearly 10,000 acres of vegetation French authorities said eight firemen and 15 police officers have been hurt although no fatalities have yet been reported In Portugal firefighters were yesterday continuing the country's summertime battle against wildfires which last month claimed the lives of 64 people whose house had at one point been in danger disaster was averted after the wind died down but the blaze engulfed 1,800 hectares of forest and burned several vehicles three vehicles and a warehouse went up in flames Mayor Charles Scibetta described waking up to a 'lunar landscape' and said the inhabitants had a lucky escape 'All of France is mobilised,' the head of the fire service in southeast France adding that extra firefighters had been drafted in from the north a director at the Irsea institute for research into the environment and agriculture said a fall-off in farming in southeast France since the 1970s had made it more prone to fires Adorable moment Prince Louis imitates Prince George doing his hair Plane crash survivors spend 36 hours in alligator infested swamp Prince George meets veterans at Buckingham Palace tea party Moment woman defecates on another driver's car amid road rage Hilarious moment Prince Louis 'rolls eyes at his brother' British expat murdered in France filmed dancing care-free with lover Moment models flee Lamborghini boat after it sinks in Miami Is this the moment neighbour complains about Beckham's raucous 50th Dozens rescued after luxurious Lamborghini boat sinks off Miami coast Women's rights campaigners take over men's pond at Hampstead Heath Yellowstone star Kevin Costner spotted chatting up mystery girl Megyn Kelly attacks Anna Wintour and Met Gala's 'black tokenism' More than 100 forest fires erupted on Sunday with 5,000 firefighters deployed across central and northern Portugal Almost 5,000 firefighters supported by water-dropping aircraft are deployed across central and northern areas of Portugal as the country continues its daily summertime battle against wildfires A villager battles in dangerous conditions to put out a forest fire in the village of Brejo Grande 'Farmland is contracting and the forest is naturally expanding roads and power lines near forests also increased the fire hazard a blaze believed to have been ignited by a cigarette butt tossed out of a car ripped through 800 hectares of land near Aix-en-Provence Sainte-Maxime and Toulon were graded as being at an 'exceptional' risk with experts warning that continued strong winds this week would see more areas affected One fire that erupted late on Monday near the La Croix-Valmer resort and yacht-filled marinas of Saint-Tropez sent clouds of thick black smoke into the sky above the packed beaches Flames burned across some 2,000 acres in the region with two villas destroyed in the hills where Dynasty star Dame Joan Collins was staying just a few miles west of St Tropez The 84-year-old and ten others at her multi-million-pound holiday home where the actress spends four months of the year An aerial photograph shows the fire devastated landscape in Biguglia on the French Mediterranean island of Corsica A raging fire is sweeping through woodland in the hills of Gigaro in La Croix-Valmer near Saint Tropez Holidaymakers watch on as the smoke fills the sky following a forest fire near Seillons Fires ravage the Corsican maquis in Biguglia More than 2,000 hectares have burned despite the best efforts of firefighters Too close for comfort: Dramatic video showed forest fires raging close to houses in the Saint-Tropez region overnight A house and three vehicles went up in flames in Carros north of Nice yesterday as firefighters battled to contain the inferno Photos show the wreckage of a burnt down car following a forest fire in Ramatuelle has spread across 900 hectares of forest and is reportedly threatening to engulf homes in 2016)  has been forced to evacuate her villa in the south of France as a huge fire continues to rip through woodland near Saint-Tropez Tweeting a picture of the blazing hills yesterday Dame Joan wrote: 'Luckily we were able to evacuate last night she said: 'All 11 family and friends are safe after abandoning our villa due to the fierce forest fires threatening our home.' She later claimed the fire had been started by a barbecue adding: 'All seems ok although fire still burning started by BarBQ.'  Local authorities said more than 100 people were evacuated and thousands of acres destroyed in and around St Tropez Another fire that scorched at least 2,000 acres in Luberon was believed to be under control yesterday morning But one of the largest blazes was last night still ripping through swathes of hillside on the island of Corsica off the French coast A French firefighter sitting in a vehicle looks at a tree blocking the path in Ramatuelle Pictures show the interior of a vehicle that was destroyed when fire ripped through a forest in Ramatuelle Fires have been raging for days in southern France An aircraft is pictured swooping low over Castagniers near Nice  Tourists seemed unconcerned and continued to enjoy the beaches near Saint-Tropez as forest fires swept through nearby woodland Emergency: Dramatic pictures showed huge forest fires near the exclusive L'Escalet area of Saint Tropez in southern France The fires across southern France have been made worse by strong winds This was the scene as firefighters tackled a blaze in in the hills of Gigaro in La Croix-Valmer  Tourists and residents walk down a road near Saint Tropez as a huge forest fire rages over the ridge of a nearby hill yesterday More than 5,000 acres of forest were engulfed after the fire erupted on Monday night with residents evacuated from their homes at the edge of the town of Biguglia One of the blazes along the French Riviera was thought to have been started by a bolt of lightning However carelessly discarded cigarettes are often blamed for setting the tinderbox area alight Fires have erupted across much of southern Europe in recent weeks amid extremely high temperatures and dry weather during the peak holiday season More than 2,000 firefighters are battling nine major wildfires in Portugal high temperatures and strong winds are fueling the flames Almost 1,000 other firefighters are conducting mopping-up operations at 37 other Portuguese woodland blazes on Wednesday Ash floated in the air and vast plumes of smoke covered areas of central Portugal The Civil Protection Agency said 24 water-dropping aircraft were in action where 64 people died in a wildfire last month No injuries have been reported in recent days as the blazes raced through thick eucalyptus and pine forests Pictured: Firemen fight a forest fire at Castelo in Macao 358 land vehicles and ten airplanes and helicopters are working to contain the forest fire in Castelo Ash filled in the air and vast plumes of smoke covered areas of central Portugal Pictured: A water bombing plane fighting the blaze in Castelo The Civil Protection Agency said 24 water-dropping aircraft were in action in Portugal Pictured: A firefighter at the scene of a forest fire at Castelo where hamlets have been evacuated and the A23 shut Emergency services in Portugal are getting no respite from wildfires that are charring wide areas of forest The huge billowing clouds of smoke they are generating are making visibility too poor to use water-dropping aircraft Aerial assault: Planes loaded with water were sent into the skies in a bid to damped the flames from above near Carros Fire fighting aircraft drop water over a fire near Carros A number of fires have been causing chaos across the region People watch smoke rising above a forest as a wildfire burns near La Londe-les-Maures on the French Riviera this morning Large wildfires are a common occurrence in summer in Portugal where thousands of firefighters are on duty in the summer months Albania's interior ministry says that some 130 firefighters are battling 18 fire spots around the country Spokesman Ardian Bita says fires are blazing in five western and central districts damaging 15 hectares (37 acres) of pastures military personnel and local authorities have been fighting about a dozen wildfires every day in Albania since the end of June Authorities have arrested several people accused of starting fires Meanwhile fires in Turkey have destroyed at least 600 acres of woodland in the Aegean province of Izmir 'Compared to a year ago we have increased public awareness and have also had better communication with the communities and local authorities,' said Bita Wildfires are also burning across swaths of central and southern Italy aided by the region's drought and high temperatures but authorities say most have been caused by arson Civil protection authorities said they responded Tuesday to 26 requests for water and fire retardant airdrops throughout central and southern Italy Wildfires in Turkey have destroyed at least 600 acres of woodland in the Aegean province of Izmir (pictured) Smoke rises at the site of a forest fire in the Lutuflar district of Izmir where around 250 acres of forestland has been destroyed by the fire amphibian airplanes and water trucks tried to extinguish the fire in the Lutuflar district of Izmir Pictures show a huge fire raging a few hundred yards away from yachts in Bormes-les-Mimosas in the Var region in southern France There were no reports of imminent threats to population areas on Wednesday causing periodic evacuations and devastating large areas of forest and pasture The Coldiretti agriculture lobby says 50 billion bees were destroyed along with their hives in fires on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius Coldiretti said another 20 percent of the bee population is estimated to have become disoriented from the smoke of the fires and died as a result On Sunday a forest fire in Croatia triggered 34 explosions thought to be mines left over from the war in the 1990s An earlier blaze had spread to southern Croatia from Montenegro Southeast France is experiencing an exceptionally hot dry summer that have made it especially vulnerable to fires This is a terrible tragedy to see such a beautiful.. The comments below have not been moderated We are no longer accepting comments on this article The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group Residents were evacuated from homes at the edge of the town of Biguglia, on the island's northeastern coast. "The fire is very fierce and heading to urban areas of Biguglia," lieutenant-colonel Michel Bernier, of France's civil defence forces stated. The blaze engulfed a sawmill and burned 10 vehicles. "We are awaiting reinforcements," said regional deputy fire chief Jean-Jacques Peraldi. Around 160 people were battling the blaze aided by more than a dozen fire engines. Local official Gerard Gavory said that three firefighting planes were also involved, and "have been surveying the area to make sure no homes are affected." Another fire on the south of the island, which destroyed 110 hectares around the town of Aleria, was brought under control on Monday, Bernier said. Elsewhere in France, a fire raged in the forests around Luberon in the Vaucluse region, covering 800 hectares by late Monday. Firefighters stated they had been unable to keep the flames under control. Around 100 homes in the village of Mirabeau and a neighbouring hamlet had to be evacuated, according to officials. Up to 500 firefighters were expected on the scene. In the nearby Var region, another fire burned over 200 hectares at Gigaro, close to the Mediterranean resort of Saint-Tropez. Another blaze in Carros, north of Nice, burned a house, three vehicles and a warehouse and led to some homes being evacuated, according to regional authorities. More than 270 firefighters were on the scene. "It's a very dangerous day," Bernier said. "And the fight is going to be very, very long tonight." 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