By Tassilo Hummel
MARSEILLE, France (Reuters) -A fast-moving wildfire reached the outskirts of France’s second most populous city of Marseille on Tuesday, 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 70 km (43 miles) per hour, 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 (1,730 acres) 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 firefighters, 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 CONFINED
Residents were told not to evacuate unless ordered so that roads could be left clear for rescue services.
“At this stage, populations must remain confined,” the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur prefecture posted on X. “Close shutters, doors, keep your property clear for emergency services, and do not travel on the roads.”
Anne, a 51-year-old woman who works in Marseille and lives on the outskirts, said by phone: “The sky is grey with ash, and the smell of fire is very strong in the centre of Marseille.”
Emilie Vierne, a pharmacist, said she was staying inside her pharmacy with clients to stay safe. “No one can leave,” she said.
In the coastal neighbourhood of l’Estaque, restaurant owner Simon Epenmbia said he was huddling in the restaurant with his family and neighbours.
“We are relatively close to the sea, where we feel safer for now and there is less smoke,” he said. “I also saw other people who came here towards the beach and are sheltering in their cars.”
A spokesperson for Marseille airport, France’s fourth-busiest, said planes had not been taking off or landing since around midday and some flights had been diverted to Nice, Nimes and other regional airports. It was unclear when the airport would reopen.
Train lines heading to and from Marseille were suspended.
A wildfire that started near Narbonne, in southwestern France, was also still active on Monday. Some 2,000 hectares have burnt there, the local prefecture said.
(Reporting by Marc Leras in Marseille and Dominique Vidalon, Gabriel Stargardter, Sudip Kar-Gupta, John Irish, Richard Lough, Makini Brice, Tassilo Hummel, Geert de Clercq in Paris; Writing by Ingrid Melander; Editing by Richard Lough and Aidan Lewis)
