Wildfire threatens Marseille, shuts down airport in southern France

A fast-moving wildfire reached the outskirts of Marseille, France's second-largest city, on Tuesday, leading its airport to be shut down, with residents told to stay indoors and shut all openings to be safe from the smoke.

The blaze, fanned by winds of up to 70 km per hour, could be smelled in the centre of Marseille, residents said, as thick clouds of smoke hovered over the city.

"It’s very striking - apocalyptic even," said Monique Baillard, a resident of Les Pennes-Mirabeau, a town north of Marseille where the fire, which has now burned across around 350 hectares, started.

Wildfires, which have become more destructive in Mediterranean countries in recent years due to climate change, were also raging in northeastern Spain, where large parts of the country were on high alert for fires.

Last week there were fires 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's 16th borough, which borders Les Pennes-Mirabeau, were also instructed by the prefecture to stay home, close doors and shutters and put damp cloths on any openings.

"The fire that started in Pennes-Mirabeau is now at the gates of Marseille," mayor Benoit Payan said on X.

One bank worker reached by phone said: "The sky is grey with ash, and the smell of fire is very strong in the centre of Marseille."

Residents were told not to evacuate unless ordered to, to leave roads free 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."

The local fire service said on X that 168 firefighters had been deployed to fight the blaze. Fire engines and helicopters were also being used.

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 north and west from Marseille were suspended due to a fire near the tracks, the SNCF train operator said.

Meanwhile, a wildfire that started near Narbonne, in southwestern France, was still active on Monday, fanned by winds of 60 km per hour.

Some 2,000 hectares have burnt, the local prefecture said.