FIREFIGHTERS continue to battle with the wildfire in Marseille with over 100 people injured as the blaze raced into the city.
Even though the wildfire’s intensity decreased overnight, looting has been rampant in the affected neighborhoods, with evacuated homes in the north being burglarized.
More than 100 people have been injured as the wildfire burnt through a whopping 1,700 acres of land, reaching the edge of Marseille.
One building was decimated while ten others were damaged as residents were evacuated and some were urged to stay indoors and off the roads.
Residents, who were advised to remain indoors for their safety on Tuesday, have finally been permitted to leave their homes, according to Marseille Mayor Benoit Payan on X. However, they have been urged to “exercise the utmost caution.”
The fire was fuelled by winds reaching up to 43 mph, and its smoke was so pervasive that it was noticeable in central Marseille, casting thick clouds over this popular tourist destination.
And fears loom that Marseille International Airport could shut down again to prioritise air resources if the fire flares up.
Yesterday, at least 10 flights were cancelled with the airport forced to close its runways in the afternoon.
Its website yesterday showed departures called off, including to Brussels, Munich and Naples.
Martine Vassal, head of the area council, said firefighters had worked through the night to control the fire, which she said remained a cause for concern.
“It is not finished. Weather conditions are worrying for us,” Vassal told broadcaster BFM.
It was too soon for the hundreds of residents who had fled from the wildfire to return, officials said.
Nine firefighters were among the 110 injured by the horrific blaze.
Meanwhile looting has been reported in evacuated properties in the Estaque neighbourhood, situated in the north of Marseille, French site Frontiere reported.
Four water bomber helicopters, one Dash aircraft and four Canadair – specialist firefighting aircraft – were deployed to tackle the blaze.
Water-dropping planes worked to extinguish the fire on the outskirts of the city, which has some 900,000 inhabitants.
The wildfire also interrupted train traffic as the blaze spread rapidly to the edges of the southern French city.
High-speed train traffic resumed today while local train traffic remains severely disrupted, railway operator SNCF announced.
Officials said the blaze was caused by a car that caught on fire.
The fire had burnt through 2.7 square miles but no fatalities had been reported, regional prefect Georges-Francois Leclerc said late on Tuesday.
Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau told reporters that the fire had been fast-moving, affecting 60 houses and burning down 10 yesterday evening.
The fire in Marseille and a separate one near Narbonne, another southern French city, were the first major fires of the summer, Sophie Primas, the government’s spokesperson, said in an interview with RTL on Wednesday, adding that wildfire season had come early this year.
This week and last week, fires have also raged in northeastern Spain, on the Greek island of Crete, and in Athens.
