Watch: Southern France wildfire tears through 1,700 hectares, forcing mass evacuations

A fast-moving wildfire in southern France forced over 400 people to evacuate their homes.

Nearly 1,000 firefighters battled the blaze which scorched around 1,700 hectares of forested land.

Air crews laid down fire-retardant barriers ahead of the advancing flames, and water bombers made many drops.

The fire has now been contained in the region, authorities confirmed.

France has experienced extreme forest-fire risk due to heatwaves and drought.