emirates7 - A large wildfire raged in southern France on Wednesday, forcing scores of people to be evacuated, emergency services said.

Hundreds of firefighters mobilised to battle the blaze in the Herault and Aude departments, fuelled by drought and strong winds.

Two smaller blazes broke out in Rognac and Lancon‑Provence near Marseille, according to local firefighters.

It came a year after major blazes in the Corbieres region and days after a deadly heatwave across much of Europe, with another one forecast.