Wildfire on Edge of Marseille Injures More Than 100, Officials Say
The blaze was ignited by a car fire in Les Pennes-Mirabeau, a small community about eight miles north of Marseille. Whipped by powerful, erratic winds, the wildfire had spread to about 1,700 acres by late Tuesday, forcing the authorities to temporarily halt flights, suspend trains and close some roads.
France's interior minister, Bruno Retailleau, flew to Marseille Tuesday night where he gave a news conference with the mayor and other officials. Mr. Retailleau said that at least 110 people had been injured, including at least 30 firefighters, as well as local and national police. He said it was 'exceptional' that there were no deaths, given the intensity of the fire.
Mr. Retailleau said that firefighters would be battling the blaze all night. More than 600 volunteer and professional firefighters were involved, aided by 15 firefighting planes and helicopters, he said. At least 400 people had been ordered to evacuate and 14,000 were told to stay home, he said.
The Marseille-Provence Airport suspended flights on Tuesday because of the fire. It is one of France's busiest airports, serving more than 11 million passengers last year. The airport said Tuesday evening that it would reopen at 9:30 p.m., but officials warned that flights could still be affected.
The fire erupted after a dayslong heat wave parched parts of Western Europe, turning woodlands into tinderboxes. The French weather agency had warned that there was also a high risk of forest fires elsewhere in the country, given the windy conditions.
See temperatures as...
Sources: University of Maine Climate Change Institute and the National Centers for Environmental Prediction Global Forecast System
Note: Forecasts are for 8 p.m. Eastern on July 7, 2025, to 8 p.m. on July 8, 2025.
By Lazaro Gamio and Zach Levitt
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