Marseille airport closed as high winds fan wildfire in southern France

Reuters

08-07-2025

MARSEILLE, France, July 8 (Reuters) - A fast-moving wildfire in southern France, fanned by winds of up to 70 kilometres per hour, led to the closure of Marseille Provence airport on Tuesday and was getting very close to France's second-largest city itself, officials said.
The local fire service said on X that 168 firefighters had been deployed to fight the blaze of around 30 hectares near the town of Les Pennes-Mirabeau, north of Marseille. Fire engines and helicopters were also being used.
"It's very striking - apocalyptic even," Monique Baillard, a resident of Les Pennes-Mirabeau, told Reuters. She said many of her neighbours had already left, even if there were no evacuation orders, adding: "We're staying unless the firefighters tell us to evacuate."
"The smoke is very striking, very acrid," said another resident, Jacqueline Revilla. "We were ordered to stay confined via a message on our mobile phones. We're waiting for further updates for now."
Michel Amiel, the mayor of Les Pennes-Mirabeau, told BFM TV that two housing estates had been evacuated.
"At this stage, populations must remain confined to residential areas," 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 fire could be smelled in the centre of Marseille, a resident said, with smoke covering parts of the city.
"The fire is spreading," the Marseille municipality said on X. "Avoid all outdoor activities and do not block emergency access routes. Follow instructions and alert messages."
A spokeswoman at the mayor's office for the 15th and 16th boroughs of Marseille, which border the town of Les Pennes-Mirabeau, said the area on the outer limits of the city was increasingly threatened by the fire, and covered in thick smoke.
The spokeswoman said they were awaiting instructions from firefighters on whether to begin evacuations, and said residents were very concerned.
As the fire was spreading, residents of the 16th borough were also instructed by the prefecture to stay home, close doors and shutters and put damp cloths on any openings.
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.
Meanwhile, a wildfire that started near Narbonne, in southwestern France, on Monday was still active, fanned by winds of 60 kilometres per hour. Some 2,000 hectares have burnt, the local prefecture said.
Wildfires 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.