A hail storm and falling winds helped firefighters bring the worst of the blazes that have ravaged the French Riviera under control, officials said today.
Winds dropped to just 10km per hour (5mph) despite earlier forecasts of violent gusts, easing fears that smouldering embers left by this week's fires in the Var region would re-ignite.
Nearly 1,000 firefighters from across France, Spain and Greece were drafted in to relieve their exhausted colleagues, many of whom have been battling the flames around the clock since Monday.
Thousands of hectares of pine forests and scrubland have been scorched. The risk of further fires, however, still remains "severe" for Friday, Frances's Civil Security unit said.
Many roads bordering forests remain closed to the public while dozens of police patrols have been deployed to thwart possible arsonists. Police suspect the fires were deliberately set.
A hail storm lasting one and a half hours thankfully moistened a region that has been stricken by drought over the last two months, said local firefighter spokesman Mr Florian Denan. "Humidity levels have greatly increased," he said.
Investigators, meanwhile, kept up a meticulous search for arsonists after the discovery of three Molotov cocktails near one of the Riviera fires.
Four foreign tourists - two British, a Dutch and a Polish citizen - were killed in the blazes that officials say were the worst in decades.
One man has been placed under investigation for "voluntary destruction by fire" for allegedly setting seven fires in the region since July 5th, but Draguignan Deputy Prosecutor Michel Raffin said he was not a suspect in this week's fires.