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Wildfire Near Marseille Burns 750 Hectares, Contained After Mass Evacuations
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61
2 days ago
Wildfires fanned by drought, heat and mistral winds swept southern France this week, with the most destructive blaze starting on 8 July when a car caught fire on the A55 motorway and ignited scrub on the north-western edge of Marseille. The fire burned about 750 hectares, injured roughly 100 people—mostly from smoke inhalation—destroyed 10 homes and damaged dozens more, according to the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur prefecture. No fatalities were reported. Some 1,000 firefighters, backed by four Canadair water-bombers, a Dash aircraft and four helicopters, contained the flames by mid-afternoon on 9 July, allowing officials to declare the blaze “fixed” and lift a temporary lockdown and an airport closure. Rail services resumed gradually, but authorities cautioned that smouldering hotspots could reignite as temperatures remain high and vegetation is parched. Further west, a separate wildfire near Narbonne in the Aude department scorched more than 2,100 hectares before being stabilised on Wednesday evening. Smaller outbreaks in the Gard, Hérault and Var departments were also brought under control, though civil-protection agencies kept much of the Mediterranean coastline on high alert for renewed flare-ups. The early-season fires have revived debate over France’s firefighting capacity. Lawmakers and fire-service representatives noted that the country operates 12 Canadair aircraft, several of which were grounded during last year’s peak season, along with eight Dash planes and 10 water-bombing helicopters. Interior officials said additional resources could be mobilised if concurrent blazes threaten to overwhelm local units.
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