Large fire visible in northern part of Calais ‘Jungle’

A group of about 20 workers began to slowly destroy the Calais “Jungle” camp structures using sledgehammers and by hand, two small bulldozers could be seen waiting nearby.

The demolition of the camp was scheduled to take place as part of government plans to clear it. Until the start of this week it was home to over 6,000 people, most of them hoping to reach Britain a short distance across the sea.

The government has been bussing the people to resettlement centres elsewhere in France.

A large fire was visible in the northern part of the camp earlier today, on a scale beyond those that can be seen on any day at the migrant camp, according to a Reuters reporter at the scene.

Black smoke rose from the fire as it burned. The fire died down by the afternoon.