More than 100 hurt as efforts to contain Marseille wildfire continue

BBC:

French firefighters are continuing to battle a wildfire that reached the outer edge of Marseille and has left more than 100 people injured.

The city’s mayor Benoit Payan told local media on Wednesday morning that the blaze was “decreasing” but was still not completely under control.

Restrictions which were imposed yesterday in the outskirts of Marseille have been lifted following a “significant decline” in the spread of the fire, the mayor wrote on X.

According to the interior ministry, 110 people have been slightly injured – including nine firefighters and 22 police officers – since Tuesday.

At least 400 people have been evacuated from their homes, according to French media.

Residents hadearlierbeen warned to stay indoors and urged not to evacuate unless they were instructed to, so the roads would be clear for emergency vehicles.

Mayor Payan earlier said the “marine firefighter battalion is waging guerrilla warfare, hoses in hand,” referring to Marseille’s fire and rescue service.

At its peak, the fire spread at a rate of 1.2km (0.7 miles) per hour, the mayor said, according to French broadcaster BFMTV. He blamed a combination of wind gusts, dense vegetation, and steep slopes.

French President Emmanuel Macron, who was on a state visit to the UK, expressed support for fire crews and called for residents to follow safety instructions.

“Our thoughts are with the injured and all residents,” he wrote on X.

Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau arrived in Marseille on Tuesday evening, where he met local officials.

He said about 800 firefighters were at the scene and efforts to tackle the blaze would continue “all night”, as the fire was not yet contained.

Marseille Provence airport said flights would resume “without restrictions” at 9:30 local time (7:30 GMT) on Wednesday, but disruptions were expected.

The airport, one of the busiest in France, partially reopened at 21:30 local time on Tuesday after being closed throughout the day.

Julien Coffinier, the airport’s president, said he had “never experienced a situation of this magnitude”.