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FIRE STORMS
Dutch Pilot Dies Fighting French Forest Fires As Plane Crashes

Locals of the Sauvebonne neighbourhood in Hyeres, South of France, look at a fire on the outskirt of the city in the Val des Rougieres, 07 August 2005. AFP photo Bruno Isolda.

 Montpellier, France (AFP) Aug 14, 2005
 A Dutch pilot died while fighting forest fires in southwestern France on Sunday when his Morane biplane crashed into the sea, police said.

The plane had just dropped two loads of fire-retardant chemicals on a fire at a gypsy camp near Serignan and was preparing to drop a third when witnesses said the plane nose-dived into the sea shortly after 1:00 pm (1100 GMT) some 300 meters (yards) off the coast, police said.

The 49-year-old pilot was a certified flyer for the private company MidAir.

The two-seater Morane biplane is frequently leased by local governments to monitor fires.

The fire destroyed 15 caravans and 24 other vehicles at the unauthorized gypsy encampment, a local official told AFP, adding that it was unknown whether the fire was accidental or criminal.

A spokesman for the gypsies said 150 caravans were parked at the camp before the fire.

They were planning to go to nearby Pamiers to take part in an evangelical rally, he said, adding that everyone had escaped the blaze.

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FIRE STORMS
More Than 800 Firefighters Battle Wildfires In Parched Portugal
 Lisbon (AFP) Aug 14, 2005
 More than 800 firefighters in Portugal on Sunday battled wildfires which swept the parched centre and north of the country for the third consecutive day amid scorching temperatures, emergency services said.






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