A fierce wildfire fuelled by gale-force winds on the outskirts of Marseille has prompted the second-largest airport in France to cancel all flights.
On Tuesday, July 8, the officials revealed that firefighters were battling the fire, and the decision to suspend airport activities came shortly after the blaze erupted outside the nearby town of Les Pennes-Mirabeau.
The regional prefect, Georges-François Leclerc, shared in a press conference, noting, "The instructions are simple: have confidence in firefighters, let emergency services do their job, and stay indoors," he said.
Fanned by a 70 km/h wind, with gusts reaching 100 km/h, the fire filled downtown Marseille with acrid smoke and flying cinders.
Authorities have urged residents, especially in the northern 15th and 16th arrondissements, closest to the blaze, to "stay inside so as to avoid any exposure to smoke" from the fire.
Furthermore, four sports halls in the city were prepared to accommodate evacuees.
Along with the airport, train services to and from the north and northwest of the city were also suspended, in addition to the closure of two motorways and main roads.
City hall informed that 720 firefighters, including dozens from neighbouring departments, were battling the blaze with 220 emergency vehicles. About 350 hectares of land had been consumed by late afternoon.
Local authorities said 20 houses had been destroyed, including several within the city limits, with no casualties reported.
Nine firefighters were being treated for smoke inhalation, and four residents had been hospitalised in "relatively urgent" circumstances.
Local media reported the cause appeared to have been a vehicle that caught fire on the A552 motorway.
Notably, around 4,000 fires start each year in France, with 90% caused by human activity. Negligently or accidentally causing a wildfire carries a jail term of up to 10 years in the country.
