About 1,200 people evacuated from coastal wildfire in northern France

PARIS, Aug ‌12 (Reuters) - About ​1,200 ​people were evacuated from a campsite due to two wildfires ‌near the beach in the north ⁠of France, local officials said on Wednesday.

The ‌prefecture for the ‌administrative department of Pas-de-Calais, in the country's north and bordering the Strait ​of Dover, said one of the wildfires was under control, but ⁠conditions were "unfavourable" for the other one. Access was difficult ​and the fire was spreading unimpeded toward the south.

Affected campers were ​being moved to ‌a shelter, the statement said.

France and the wider European continent, ⁠the world's fastest-warming, have been battling an unusually active wildfire season, as a ⁠relatively wet winter fuelled growth in vegetation ​that then dried out during rolling heatwaves.

French environment minister Monique Barbut said earlier on Wednesday ‌that the heatwaves could result in as much as €15 billion ($17 ‌billion) in direct and indirect ⁠costs.

($1 = 0.8674 euros)

(Reporting ‌by Inti Landauro ​and Manuel Ausloos; Writing by Makini Brice; Editing by Philippa ‌Fletcher)

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