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Otago Daily Times
10-07-2025
- Climate
- Otago Daily Times
Fire near Marseille 'under control'
A wildfire that reached the northwestern outskirts of France's second-biggest city of Marseille is under control but not over according to officials who warn it could flare up again. Officials told residents on Wednesday they were no longer in lockdown, though some who were evacuated were likely to find their homes in ashes. Ten houses were completely destroyed and dozens damaged, they said, though no fatalities were reported. "Everything on my grandmother's property was destroyed," resident Melanie Basques said, adding that her grandmother was safe after being evacuated on Tuesday. But the destruction was extensive, she said. "There are three families on that land, and on our side, everything was destroyed - sheds, homes, everything. Photos that were sent show her house is completely destroyed." Marseille firefighters' chief Lionel Mathieu said about 700 crew, assisted by helicopters dropping water, were trying to control fires north of the city and prevent them from being rekindled. "It is clear that with such a major fire, there may be new flare-ups," Marseille Prefect Georges-Francois Leclerc told reporters. Later in the day, the prefecture said on X that the fire was contained. "A contained fire is one that is no longer spreading. This does not mean that the interventions are over," the prefect said, after the wildfire, which started on Tuesday, burnt through at least 750ha. Mediterranean countries are in a "wildfire hotspot", scientists say, with blazes common in hot and dry weather that have become more destructive in recent years due to a fast-changing climate. Over the past two weeks, fires have also raged in northeastern Spain and in parts of Greece, including Athens and the island of Crete. FROM MARVEL TO DESTRUCTION Another Marseille local resident, Pascale Reigner, said the fire should lead to a change in the way people think and live. "I no longer have a terrace or a kitchen. My next-door neighbours no longer have a house," she said. "We are in a district which has been painted by Cezanne, by Braque, which was a marvel, and now as you see it currently, we're going to be living on the moon (referring to destruction)." Other Marseille residents who were evacuated were trying to get news of their homes. Djenna Boualia said her parents' house on the northern outskirts of the city was still standing. "The fire was really close. There were even flames in the garden," Boualia told Reuters. "My mother was panicking. There have been fires in the area before, several times, but never of this scale; never like this ... My parents have lived there for 25 years, and we had never seen a house burn." The airport serving Marseille was reopened, but could close again to prioritise airspace if the fire flares up again. Roads were reopened too, as were some train routes. On Tuesday the blaze, which officials said was caused by a car that caught fire on a highway, was fanned by winds of up to 70km/h. The fire in Marseille and a separate blaze near the city of Narbonne were the first major ones of the summer, Sophie Primas, a government spokesperson, said in an interview with RTL on Wednesday, adding that the wildfire season had started earlier this year.
Times
09-07-2025
- Climate
- Times
Marseille fire: more than 100 injured as blaze reaches city
More than 100 people have been injured in a wildfire which has rapidly burnt through 1,700 acres of land as it reaches the edge of Marseille, France's second largest city by population. Several buildings were destroyed or damaged, while about 15,000 residents of Marseille's 16th district in the north of the city were told not to leave their homes. About 400 residents who had been evacuated had yet to return to their homes by Wednesday morning. Benoit Payan, the city's mayor, likened the scenes to 'guerrilla warfare' as he called on locals to 'exercise the utmost caution'. Several incoming flights were diverted to other cities and some were cancelled. A motorway was closed and trains entering and leaving Marseille from the north and west were halted. 'I ask all Marseille residents to be extremely vigilant and limit their movements as much as possible to allow time for emergency services, particularly in the north of the city,' Payan wrote on X. 'The firefighter battalion is waging guerrilla warfare, hoses in hand. We have evacuated several dozen people.' The sky above Marseille turned orange FREDERIC MUNSCH/SHUTTERSTOCK Firefighters worked through the night to contain the flames FREDERIC MUNSCH/SHUTTERSTOCK CLEMENT MAHOUDEAU/AFP/GETTY IMAGES By Wednesday morning, Lionel Mathieu, the city's firefighting chief, said the 'fire is clearly receding, it is no longer advancing'. About 700 firefighters were still on duty, however, while helicopters helped colleagues on the ground, dumping water from the air. Martine Vassal, head of the area council, warned the wildfire was 'not finished', telling broadcaster BFM: 'Weather conditions are worrying for us.' Nine firefighters were among 110 injured by the blaze, which was being fanned by winds of up to 40mph. The fire broke out at about 11am on Tuesday near the town of Les Pennes-Mirabeau, about eight miles north of Marseille city centre. Michel Amiel, the town's mayor, said: 'Things are far from under control.' • Homes on the edge of towns 'will soon be at risk of wildfires' He added that two housing developments had been evacuated as the flames were approaching, while a vulnerable nursing home was being protected by firefighters. At about lunchtime, parts of the sky above Marseille turned orange and the air smelt of smoke. 'It's very striking, apocalyptic even,' said Monique Baillard, a resident of Les Pennes-Mirabeau. Fire chiefs said: 'The department is facing a significant forest fire risk. Several forest fires are currently burning throughout the department.' They said that six smaller fires had been contained or extinguished, adding: 'The weather conditions are extremely unfavourable, drought, very low humidity … the wind will not weaken before 11pm and will blow all night.'
RTÉ News
09-07-2025
- Climate
- RTÉ News
France battles smouldering fire near Marseille, warns of flare-ups
A wildfire that reached the northwestern outskirts of Marseille in France lost intensity overnight, though firefighters are continuing to battle the smouldering blaze and warned that it could flare up again. Officials told residents they were no longer in lockdown, though some who were evacuated were likely to find their homes destroyed. Ten houses were completely burnt down and dozens damaged, they said, though no fatalities were reported. "Everything on my grandmother's property was destroyed," resident Melanie Basques said, adding that her grandmother was safe after being evacuated yesterday. But the destruction was extensive, she said. "There are three families on that land, and on our side, everything was destroyed - sheds, homes, everything. Photos that were sent show her house is completely destroyed." Marseille firefighters' chief Lionel Mathieu said around 700 crew, assisted by helicopters dropping water, were trying to rein in fires north of the city and prevent them from being rekindled. "It is clear that with such a major fire, there may be new flare-ups," Marseille prefect Georges-Francois Leclerc told reporters. Mediterranean countries are in a "wildfire hotspot," scientists say, with blazes common in hot and dry weather which have become more destructive in recent years due to a fast-changing climate. This week and last week, fires have also raged in northeastern Spain and in parts of Greece, including Athens and the island of Crete. Homes destroyed Meanwhile, Marseille residents who were evacuated were trying to get news of their homes. Djenna Boualia said her parents' house on the northern outskirts of the city was still standing. "The fire was really close. There were even flames in the garden," Boualia told Reuters, adding: "My mother was panicking." "There have been fires in the area before, several times, but never of this scale; never like this... My parents have lived there for 25 years, and we had never seen a house burn," she said. The airport for Marseille was reopened but could close again to prioritise air space if the fire flares up again. Roads were reopened too, as were some train routes. Yesterday, the blaze, which officials said was caused by a car that caught fire on a highway, was fanned by winds of up to 70km/ph. The fire in Marseille and a separate blaze near the city of Narbonne, were the first major ones of the summer, Sophie Primas, a government spokesperson, said in an interview with RTL, adding that the wildfire season had started earlier this year.
LeMonde
09-07-2025
- Climate
- LeMonde
Marseille wildfire decreases in intensity but not extinguished
A wildfire that disrupted planes and trains in Marseille, France's second-largest city, decreased in intensity on Wednesday, July 9, officials said. Several fires have raged in recent days in the southern region, fanned by winds and kindled by parched vegetation, including Tuesday's just north of the port city of Marseille. "The fire is clearly receding, it is no longer advancing," Marseille firefighting chief Lionel Mathieu said. The flames swept through 750 hectares of land, affecting at least 70 homes, of which 10 were destroyed, but there were no human casualties, Mathieu added. Some 700 firefighters were on duty on Wednesday morning, with helicopters dumping water from the air to help their colleagues on the ground. Local authorities said some 15,000 residents of Marseille's 16th district in the north of the city, hit by flames on Tuesday afternoon, were now allowed out of their homes. But it was still too early for some 400 of them who were evacuated to return home. The blaze had started in an area north of Marseille late Tuesday morning after a vehicle caught fire. "There's every reason to believe that we're heading for a high-risk summer," warned Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau on Tuesday evening at a press briefing with firefighters in Marseille. In just a few hours, the fire had spread over 700 hectares, leading to the closure by midday of Marseille Provence airport, France's fourth-largest in terms of passenger numbers, located to the north of the city. Traffic partly resumed around 19:30 GMT on Tuesday, but local authorities warned the airport could be closed again on Wednesday to allow for more airborne firefighting. According to satellite images, the smoke plume stretched out to sea for around a hundred kilometers. High-speed train traffic in Marseille resumed on Wednesday morning after a fire-related interruption, while local train traffic remains severely disrupted, railway operator SNCF announced. The first major fires of the season broke out in France this weekend in several southern departments, causing heavy traffic jams in the middle of the start of summer holidays. Scientists say human-induced climate change is increasing the intensity, length and frequency of extreme heat that fuels forest fires.
The Sun
09-07-2025
- Climate
- The Sun
Marseille wildfire that closed airport ‘receding'
MARSEILLE: A wildfire that disrupted plane and train in Marseille, France's second largest city, decreased in intensity on Wednesday, officials said. Several fires have raged in recent days in the southern region, fanned by winds and kindled by parched vegetation, including Tuesday's just north of the port city of Marseille. 'The fire is clearly receding, it is no longer advancing,' Marseille firefighting chief Lionel Mathieu said. The flames had swept through 750 hectares (1,800 acres) of land, affecting at least 70 homes of which 10 had been destroyed, but there had been no human casualties, Mathieu added. Some 700 firefighters were on duty on Wednesday morning, with helicopters dumping water from the air to help their colleagues on the ground. Local authorities said some 15,000 residents of Marseille's 16th district in the north of the city, hit by flames on Tuesday afternoon, were now allowed out of their homes. But it was still too early for some 400 of them who were evacuated to return home. The blaze had started in an area north of Marseille late Tuesday morning after a vehicle caught fire. 'There's every reason to believe that we're heading for a high-risk summer,' warned Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau on Tuesday evening at a press briefing with firefighters in Marseille. In just a few hours, the fire had spread over 700 hectares, leading to the closure by mid-day of Marseille Provence airport, France's fourth-largest in terms of passenger numbers, located to the north of the city. Traffic partly resumed around 19:30 GMT on Tuesday, but local authorities warned the airport could be closed again on Wednesday to allow for more airborne fire-fighting. According to satellite images, the smoke plume stretched out to sea for around a hundred kilometres. High-speed train traffic in Marseille resumed on Wednesday morning after a fire-related interruption, while local train traffic remains severely disrupted, railway operator SNCF announced. Meanwhile, down the Mediterranean coast in an area near the city of Narbonne, firefighters fought to stamp out a blaze that had spread across 2,000 hectares since Monday. The first major fires of the season broke out in France this weekend in several southern departments, causing heavy traffic jams in the middle of the start of summer holidays. Scientists say human-induced climate change is increasing the intensity, length and frequency of extreme heat that fuels forest fires. – AFP
