A fast-moving wildfire on the outskirts of Marseille has destroyed homes, injured dozens, and forced hundreds of residents to evacuate, as extreme heat and fierce winds fuel dangerous fire conditions across the Mediterranean.
France’s interior minister, Bruno Retailleau, said around 400 people had been evacuated from threatened areas, with approximately 20 homes destroyed and at least 63 others damaged. More than 100 people suffered light injuries, including emergency workers. “At the moment I speak to you, there are no fatalities — which is remarkable given the scale of the fires,” he said during a visit to the scene on Tuesday evening. “But all signs point to a summer of high risk.”
The blaze was reportedly sparked by a vehicle fire on the A552 motorway and was fanned by winds reaching up to 100 km/h. Videos from Marseille’s Old Port area showed thick smoke and flying cinders engulfing the city centre, as acrid air made outdoor conditions hazardous.
Marseille airport, the country’s second largest, was forced to cancel all departures — including flights to Brussels, Munich, and Naples — and divert incoming planes to Nice and Nimes. Train services to the north and northwest of the city were suspended, two motorways and several road tunnels closed, and buses cancelled.
About 450 people were evacuated, according to city hall, which urged residents in the northern 15th and 16th arrondissements to stay indoors to avoid smoke exposure. Four sports halls were opened to accommodate displaced residents. “You can feel it, see it, and smell it,” one resident told local media. “It’s horrific. We’re all frightened.”
More than 720 firefighters, supported by helicopters and water-bombing planes, battled the blaze through the night. Authorities reported that about 350 hectares of land had already burned by late afternoon.
Three southern French departments — Bouches-du-Rhône, Var, and Vaucluse — remain on red fire alert, with forests closed and outdoor flames, including barbecues and cigarettes, banned.
Meanwhile, the wider region continues to grapple with severe fire activity. In north-eastern Spain, a wildfire in Tarragona province has scorched over 3,100 hectares and forced 18,000 people indoors. In Syria, authorities appealed to the EU for assistance as wildfires entered their sixth day, with Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey already providing support.
Local officials in Marseille said the situation was “under control” by Tuesday evening, though not yet fully contained. “The instructions are simple: trust the firefighters, let emergency services do their job, and stay inside,” said regional prefect Georges-François Leclerc. “Firefighters are defending the city.”
