A fast-moving wildfire reached the outskirts of Marseille, France’s second-largest city. The blaze left 110 people slightly injured, including nine firefighters and 22 police officers. France’s Interior Minister, Bruno Retailleau, stated that over 800 firefighters were on the scene, working to bring the fire under control. As of the latest update, the fire has not yet been contained. The situation has disrupted air travel and train services in the area.
Marseille Wildfire Forces Airport Closure
According to NDTV, several forest fires have broken out in recent days across southern France. These wildfires have been spreading rapidly due to strong winds and parched vegetation following a heatwave. One such wildfire, just north of Marseille, reached France’s second-largest city on Tuesday.
It forced Marseille airport to shut down and interrupted train traffic as the fire has still not been fully contained. The fire spread at a rate of 1.2km per minute, at its peak. Marseille airport said it would partially reopen from 9:30 PM local time (19:30 GMT), after it was closed for hours on Tuesday. As per the latest reports, there is no news about the airport resuming all operations yet.
French President Emmanuel Macron took to X (formerly Twitter) to show his support for firefighting crews and urged residents to strictly follow safety instructions. He also added, “Our thoughts are with the injured and all residents.”
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Residents Urged To Stay Indoors
Several French media houses have reported that more than 400 people have been evacuated from their homes due to the Marseille wildfire. In some areas, local authorities have urged residents to stay indoors and asked them not to evacuate unless they were instructed to do so. This will also help keep the roads clear for emergency vehicles.
The wildfire broke out earlier on Tuesday near Pennes-Mirabeau, Marseille. So far, it is said to have covered about 700 hectares and even set a car on fire. It is to be noted that Marseille’s Bouches-du-Rhône area has not received any rainfall since 19 May, and the hot weather in the country right now is fueling the wildfire.
More updates are awaited on this.
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