MARSEILLE, France (BN24) — Ferocious wildfires sweeping southern France have forced the closure of Marseille International Airport, as emergency crews scramble to contain the flames and evacuate residents from threatened neighborhoods.
The blaze erupted Tuesday in the area of Pennes-Mirabeau, north of Marseille, after a vehicle caught fire. Gusts reaching up to 70 kilometers per hour fanned the flames, which by afternoon had scorched 350 hectares (860 acres), French firefighters said.
Columns of thick, acrid smoke drifted across Marseille’s skyline, blanketing the city in a choking haze. The fire was so intense it could be smelled in the city center, prompting authorities to urge residents to stay indoors.
Marseille Airport, the country’s fourth-busiest air hub, halted all takeoffs and landings shortly after midday. A spokesperson said dozens of flights were canceled and others diverted to airports in Nice, Nimes and regional destinations. Officials did not confirm when the runways might reopen.
“It’s very striking—apocalyptic even,” said Monique Baillard, who lives in Les Pennes-Mirabeau, describing flames racing over dry hillsides toward residential zones.
More than 720 firefighters and 230 firefighting vehicles were deployed to fight the advancing front, according to emergency services cited by Sky News. Reinforcements included four Canadair aircraft, four water bomber helicopters and a Dash plane specializing in aerial firefighting.
The wildfire also forced the suspension of regional train traffic. French railway operator SNCF said it halted service between Marseille and the Miramas-Aix high-speed TGV station after flames neared tracks in L’Estaque, a seaside neighborhood known for its views of the Mediterranean.
Marseille Mayor Benoit Payan warned that the situation remained critical as flames advanced northward.
“The fire that started this morning in Pennes-Mirabeau continues to spread north of Marseille,” Payan said after visiting the Marseille Firefighters Battalion command post to oversee operations.
Earlier, he took to X to urge residents in northern neighborhoods to stay off roads so emergency vehicles could pass.
The mayor of Pennes-Mirabeau said two housing estates were evacuated and firefighters had surrounded a retirement home to protect residents from approaching flames.
The inferno near Marseille was the latest in a series of destructive wildfires fueled by weeks of hot weather and strong winds across southern France.
To the west, near Narbonne, more than 1,000 firefighters battled another large blaze that ignited on a winery’s property on Monday. By Tuesday morning, that fire had consumed 2,000 hectares (4,900 acres) of trees, leaving the village of Prat-de-Cest surrounded by charred forest.
As helicopters buzzed over Marseille dropping loads of water, officials repeated calls for residents to follow instructions and avoid any unnecessary travel in affected areas.
thesun.co.uk
