Corsica was particularly hard hit, with flames sweeping through some 1,400 hectares (five square miles) in the north of the island.

"There is no doubt about the criminal origin" of the fires, a senior government official in northern Corsica told AFP, saying that the blazes had been deliberately started three kilometres (two miles) apart.

With winds gusting to 90 kilometres (55 miles) an hour the flames spread swiftly Friday despite the efforts of more than 260 firefighters and aircraft dropping water.

Two babies, among 50 people who had taken shelter in a church, suffered mild problems from smoke inhalation.

There were no reports of loss of property. Local people were asked by the authorities to take shelter in their homes or in churches.

In Provence, in southeastern France, a fire broke out Friday and fanned by a strong northern mistral wind devastated 200 hectares (495 acres) of scrub and pine forest.

This blaze was also thought to be of criminal origin, as it started in two separate places. Two main highways were cut and isolated houses were evacuated.

In another part of Provence, where 160 hectares had been hit by fires Thursday, a further 100 were ablaze Friday.

North of the port city of Marseille between 40 and 50 hectares were on fire.

Weather forecasters said that the wind should drop in Corsica Friday but the mistral would continue to blow in Provence until Saturday.

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