The centre of Correns, a village in the Var department of southern France, was surrounded by flames 24 hours before the report was published, forcing residents to shelter in place. The air in the area is described as unbreathable and the landscape as apocalyptic.
Residents had been confined to their homes for three days before beginning to take advantage of a lull in the fire to evacuate and gradually leave the village.
Most residents said they did not want to abandon the village despite the difficult conditions. The situation remained very unstable on Sunday, with authorities urging continued vigilance.
