A wildfire that spread to Marseille, France’s second-largest city, injuring 110 people, was partially contained overnight, although it has not yet been fully extinguished, according to authorities.
In response to the improving situation, the mayor of Marseille lifted a confinement order that had affected tens of thousands of residents.
Mayor Benoit Payan announced that the fire was in “net regression” on Wednesday morning. The fire had rapidly approached the historic Mediterranean port city on Tuesday, prompting hundreds of evacuations and forcing residents in an entire district to stay indoors under official orders.
Fueled by strong summer winds, the fire disrupted transportation on Tuesday, grounding all flights in and out of Marseille and halting train service in most of the surrounding region. Train, road, and air traffic were still experiencing disruptions on Wednesday.
The mayor reported that 110 individuals had received medical treatment for smoke inhalation and related injuries.
Over 1,000 firefighters were deployed to combat the fire, which originated near the town of Les Pennes-Mirabeau before spreading towards Marseille. Local authorities stated that approximately 720 hectares had been affected by the blaze.
Officials described the fire as “particularly virulent,” exacerbated by a cloudless, windy day following a prolonged heat wave that had left the region dry and highly susceptible to wildfires.
Several wildfires have erupted in southern France in recent days, including a fire in the Aude region that has consumed approximately 2,000 hectares and continued to burn on Wednesday.
A light grey haze of smoke cast a dusty appearance over Marseille’s old port as water-dropping aircraft worked to extinguish the fire on the city’s outskirts. Marseille has a population of approximately 900,000.
