Wildfires: Family in hotel swim for their lives after flames force them to flee
A family was forced to swim for their lives and shelter on rocks in the sea after wildfires hit their hotel at 5am.
Father-of-two Jérémie Gautrelet, 42, was in Tigremt, Algeria, when he saw embers and smelt smoke on Sunday morning.
It turned out the wildfire was just metres away from the hotel and the family fled, taking only their most important documents and items.
Gautrelet, his wife Lynda, 46, and two children, Gabriel, 11, and Genna, seven, headed to the hotel beach.
They spotted a rocky outcrop in the sea and decided this would be the safest place for them to shelter.
They were forced to swim a short distance to the outcrop, before perching on it for safety from the flames - though they could still feel the heat.
Countries across the Mediterranean have been hit by wildfires, with at least 34 people killed in Algeria.
It had been the first night of their holiday and Gautrelet, a police officer from Lons, France, said: "We were terrified when we first saw the flames but the will to survive helped us channel our determination.
"The children were exemplary – no screams, no tears, no complaints despite the danger, explosions and toxic smoke."
The family used wet t-shirts to cover their faces and protect themselves from the smoke.
They also helped other families from the hotel make it onto the rocks, where they all sheltered for two hours before locals came to their rescue.
Gautrelet said they endured "intense heat, burning winds, embers and toxic smoke". The family later received treatment for mild burns and flew home on Wednesday.
Read more: British dad flies to Rhodes to fight wildfires in middle of the night
Extreme weather throughout July has caused havoc across the planet, with record temperatures in China, the US and southern Europe sparking wildfires, water shortages and a rise in heat-related hospital admissions.
A study by World Weather Attribution said that without human-induced climate change, the events this month would have been "extremely rare".
The heat, with temperatures topping 40C is well in excess of what usually attracts tourists to the Mediterranean.
