Marseille, France — A fast-moving Marseille wildfire has injured more than 100 people and forced the evacuation of hundreds as firefighters continue to battle the destructive blaze near the outskirts of the southern French city. The fire, which began on Tuesday near Pennes-Mirabeau, just north of Marseille, quickly spread due to strong winds, dry conditions, and dense vegetation.
Marseille’s mayor, Benoît Payan, said Wednesday that the fire’s intensity had decreased, but it was still not fully under control. “The fire is weakening, but we remain vigilant,” Payan told local media. He confirmed that the restrictions imposed on Tuesday in surrounding areas have now been lifted due to a “significant decline” in the spread of the flames.
According to France’s Interior Ministry, at least 110 people have sustained minor injuries, including nine firefighters and 22 police officers, since the wildfire began. More than 400 residents have been evacuated from their homes in affected neighborhoods.
Residents had earlier been urged to stay indoors and avoid using roads unless specifically instructed to evacuate, to ensure emergency services could move freely. The scale and speed of the Marseille wildfire have tested the city’s emergency response infrastructure.
Mayor Payan described the situation as chaotic, stating, “The marine firefighter battalion is waging guerrilla warfare, hoses in hand,” in reference to Marseille’s elite fire and rescue team.
At one point, the fire was spreading at a terrifying rate of 1.2 kilometers per minute (0.7 miles per minute), according to BFMTV. Steep terrain, heavy brush, and gusting winds combined to create what officials described as near-unstoppable fire conditions.
Macron and National Officials Respond to Marseille Wildfire Crisis
French President Emmanuel Macron, who was on an official state visit to the United Kingdom, expressed his support via social media. “Our thoughts are with the injured and all the residents impacted by the Marseille wildfire. Please follow safety guidance,” Macron posted on X (formerly Twitter).
Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau traveled to Marseille wildfire on Tuesday evening to meet with local leaders and assess the damage. He stated that around 800 firefighters had been deployed and would continue efforts through the night as the blaze remained uncontained.
Authorities have confirmed that the fire was likely sparked by a vehicle that caught fire on the nearby motorway, igniting dry grass and brush along the roadside.
Marseille Provence Airport, one of France’s busiest, was also impacted. It shut down for most of Tuesday as smoke and proximity to the blaze created unsafe flying conditions. The airport partially reopened at 21:30 local time and announced that normal operations would resume by 09:30 on Wednesday, though travelers were warned of potential delays.
Julien Coffinier, president of the airport authority, described the event as unprecedented. “I’ve never experienced a situation of this magnitude,” he said.
One of the driving factors behind the Marseille wildfire is the region’s extreme drought. The Bouches-du-Rhône area has not recorded rainfall since May 19, exacerbating fire risk across southern France.
Locals described the scene as catastrophic. “It’s very striking—apocalyptic even,” said Monique Baillard, a resident of Pennes-Mirabeau. “Many of my neighbors evacuated as the smoke got closer.”
Images and video shared on social media showed towering plumes of smoke over Marseille, with flames visible in the nearby hills.
While the Marseille wildfire is grabbing national headlines, it is just one of several blazes currently burning across Europe amid a scorching early summer.
In southern France, another Marseille wildfire near Narbonne has burned over 2,000 hectares, fueled by wind gusts of up to 60 km/h (40 mph). Meanwhile, Catalonia in northeastern Spain ordered 18,000 residents to stay home due to a wildfire in Tarragona that has already scorched nearly 3,000 hectares of land.
Spain remains on high alert after experiencing its hottest June on record, further increasing the likelihood of wildfires in already-dry regions.
In Greece, at least 41 wildfires broke out on Monday alone, according to the fire service. While most were quickly contained, seven remain active, threatening homes and prompting evacuations.
Meteorologists and climate scientists warn that this may be only the beginning. The combination of climate change, prolonged drought, and record heatwaves is creating perfect conditions for wildfires across Europe, and southern France is especially vulnerable.
As of Wednesday morning, firefighting crews in Marseille remain on high alert. Despite some progress in containing the fire, officials have stressed that the risk remains high until weather conditions improve.
Source- BBC
