Fire Ravages French Riviera; Arson Possible

Suspected arson fires fed by strong winds ravaged the French Riviera today, killing one person, destroying up to 20 resort homes and consuming thousands of acres of forest, officials said.

Officials in Nice said at least 1,500 people were forced to flee the flames. One firefighter was seriously injured Thursday night by smoke inhalation and burns, and several others were slightly injured.

After an all-night battle, officials said it appeared that about 2,500 firefighters were bringing under control the blazes that erupted Thursday afternoon and spread rapidly along a stretch of the Mediterranean coast between Nice and the principality of Monaco, 574 miles from Paris.

They feared, however, that a new surge of a hot wind of up to 45 m.p.h. from the west would spread the flames farther eastward.

6,177 Acres of Forest

Firefighters said they believe arson was responsible for some of the blazes, which destroyed about 6,177 acres of forest.

Rescue workers said one person, not immediately identified, was killed in the Mandelieu area.

The fires wreaked havoc during the sunny Cote D’Azur’s peak tourist season, with thousands of Parisians in the area for vacations.

Between 10 and 20 resort homes were destroyed by the flames along the coast, the spokesman said.

Officials ordered the evacuation of 1,500 people, including 140 youngsters at a summer camp, and occupants of several hotels, campgrounds, vacation homes and a retirement home. Evacuations were reported in Levens, the medieval city of Eze, Saint-Laurent d’Eze, Cap d’Ail and Turbie along the coast.

Soldiers Battle Flames

Another fire raged through 15 miles of forest near Draguignan, about 40 miles west and inland of the coastal resort city of Cannes. The wind was blowing the flames eastward toward the French Alps.

The firefighters, including soldiers and others from Paris and from towns in the region, battled the fires on foot and dumped water and chemical retardants from seven aircraft.

Some residents doused their homes with garden hoses in an effort to protect them from the flames licking tree-covered hillsides nearby.