A fast-moving wildfire reached the outskirts of France’s second most populous city of Marseille, prompting the closure of the airport and an order to residents to stay indoors because of the smoke.
The blaze, fanned by winds of up to 70kmph, could be smelt in the centre of Marseille as thick clouds of smoke hovered over the city on the Mediterranean coast.
“It’s very striking – apocalyptic even,” said Monique Baillard, a resident of Les Pennes-Mirabeau, the town north of Marseille where officials said the fire started on a highway.
The fire has burnt through 700 hectares and is considered to be under control even though it is still burning, regional prefect Georges-Francois Leclerc said, but a forecast of strong winds meant there was a risk it could advance further.
About 10 buildings have been at least partly hit by the fire but no fatalities have been reported and hundreds of homes have been saved by firemen, he said.
Wildfires, which have become more destructive in Mediterranean countries in recent years and attributed to climate change, were also raging in northeastern Spain, where large parts of the country were on high alert for fires.
There were also fires last week on the Greek island of Crete and in Athens, as much of Europe sweltered in an early summer heatwave.
As the fire was spreading, residents of Marseille received official alerts on their phones telling them to stay at home and put damp cloths on any openings.
“As we speak, it’s a battle,” Payan said, likening tackling the wildfire to “guerrilla warfare”.
“We’re waiting to see what happens overnight, because that’s critical too. Everything is strategic: wind speed, humidity, nightfall – very factor matters. Once again, it’s extremely complex, and the work is incredibly difficult.”
Residents were told not to evacuate unless ordered so that roads could be left clear for rescue services.
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