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New Straits Times
08-07-2025
- Climate
- New Straits Times
France wildfire shuts down Marseille airport, halts trains
MARSEILLE – A wildfire in southern France on Tuesday forced Marseille airport to close and interrupted train traffic as the blaze spread rapidly to the edges of the city. Several forest fires have raged in recent days in southern France, fanning out at speed due to wind and parched vegetation after a heatwave. Scientists say human-induced climate change is increasing the intensity, length and frequency of extreme heat that fuels forest fires. The fire started in a vehicle in the area of Pennes-Mirabeau to the north of Marseille, on the road to the airport, roaring across 700 hectares (1,700 acres) by the evening, firefighters said. It sent plumes of acrid smoke billowing into the sky, causing the airport to close its runways shortly after midday (1000 GMT), a spokesman for the Marseille Provence airport said. The spokesman later said that the airport would partially reopen at around 9:30 pm and that 54 flights had been cancelled and another 14 redirected. The website of the SNCF national rail operator showed more than a dozen train trips had been cancelled in and out of the city. It said rail travel to and from Marseille would remain "highly affected" on Wednesday. Marseille mayor Benoît Payan on X warned residents the fire was now "at the doors of Marseille", urging inhabitants in the north of the city to refrain from taking to the roads to leave way for rescue services. The mayor of Pennes-Mirabeau said two housing estates had been evacuated and firefighters had positioned themselves outside a retirement home to fight off approaching flames. The Marseille Provence airport is the country's fourth after Charles-de-Gaulle and Orly outside Paris, and Nice. The fire near Marseille is just the latest to hit France in recent days. To the west along the Mediterranean coast, near the city of Narbonne, more than 1,000 firefighters from around the country were seeking to contain another blaze. It had crept across 2,000 hectares (4,900 acres) of trees since starting on the property of a winery on Monday afternoon, emergency services said. In the village of Prat-de-Cest on Tuesday morning, trees were blackened or still on fire. As she watched fire trucks drive to and fro, retiree Martine Bou recounted fleeing her home with her cats, tortoises and dog on Monday afternoon before returning. But her husband, Frédéric, stayed all night to hose down the great pines on the other side of the road so the fire would not engulf their home. "I've never seen anything like it. I have never lived next to such an enormous fire," he told AFP, reporting flames dozens of metres (more than a hundred feet) high. The fire near Narbonne caused authorities to close the A9 motorway to Spain, but on Tuesday morning they said they were progressively reopening it to traffic.
France 24
08-07-2025
- Climate
- France 24
Forest fire blazes in southern France
The fire, the latest of several in the area in recent days, started on the property of a winery south of the city of Narbonne on Monday afternoon, then spread rapidly due to wind and parched vegetation after a heatwave. More than 1,000 firefighters battled the flames overnight, but by the morning the inferno had partially damaged 2,000 hectares (4,900 acres) of land and was still going strong, local authorities said. Local official Christian Pouget said six homes had been partially affected. "The fire has still not been brought under control," he said. In the village of Prat-de-Cest on Tuesday morning, trees were blackened or still on fire. As she watched fire trucks drive to and fro, retiree Martine Bou, who did not give her age, recounted fleeing her home with her cats, tortoises and dog on Monday afternoon before returning. But her husband Frederic stayed all night to hose down the great pines on the other side of the road so the fire would not engulf their home. "I've never seen anything like it. I have never lived next to such an enormous fire," he told AFP, reporting flames dozens of metres (more than a hundred feet) high. French weather service Meteo France said the risk of fires remained high on Tuesday. Authorities closed the A9 autoroute to Spain, but on Tuesday morning they said they were progressively reopening the route to traffic. Meteo France said this weekend that a punishing heatwave that began on June 19 had officially ended on Friday, lasting in all 16 days -- the same length as the country's deadly 2003 heatwave. That same day, however, the first major fires of the season broke out in the south. © 2025 AFP
Local France
08-07-2025
- Climate
- Local France
Forest fire blazes in southern France as high alert issued for wildfires
The fire, the latest of several in the area in recent days, started on the property of a winery south of the city of Narbonne on Monday afternoon, then spread rapidly due to wind and parched vegetation after a heatwave. More than 1,000 firefighters battled the flames overnight, but by the morning the inferno had partially damaged 2,000 hectares of land and was still going strong, local authorities said. Local official Christian Pouget said six homes had been partially affected. "The fire has still not been brought under control," he said. In the village of Prat-de-Cest on Tuesday morning, trees were blackened or still on fire. Advertisement As she watched fire trucks drive to and fro, retiree Martine Bou, who did not give her age, recounted fleeing her home with her cats, tortoises and dog on Monday afternoon before returning. But her husband Frederic stayed all night to hose down the great pines on the other side of the road so the fire would not engulf their home. "I've never seen anything like it. I have never lived next to such an enormous fire," he told AFP, reporting flames dozens of metres high. Inhabitants of several villages close to the blaze were evacuated, while 'stay at home' notices have been issued to the inhabitants of the Roches-Grises, Montplaisir and Réveillon, the Jonquières estate in Narbonne, Prat-de-Cest in Bages and the commune of Peyriac-de-Mer. Inhabitants of the wider area are advised to keep windows closed because of the smoke. An emergency welcome centre has been opened in Narbonne for those unable to go home because of the blaze - follow Ville de Narbonne on social media for the latest information. French weather service Météo France said the risk of fires remained high on Tuesday - the whole of France's southern coast is on alert for wildfires, with three départements on red (the highest level). Authorities closed the A9 - the main road link between France and Spain - on Tuesday morning, but the road was later progressively reopened to traffic. Météo France said this weekend that a punishing heatwave that began on June 19th had officially ended on Friday, lasting in all 16 days -- the same length as the country's deadly 2003 heatwave. Temperatures in most of the country have been cooler in recent days, but the hot weather is predicted to return at the end of the week and over the July 14th holiday weekend. Scientists say human-induced climate change is increasing the intensity, length and frequency of the extreme heat that causes some forest fires. READ ALSO : MAP: How to check for wildfire alerts in France✎
The Sun
08-07-2025
- Climate
- The Sun
Forest fire blazes in southern France
NARBONNE: A forest fire blazed in southern France Tuesday, after it crept across an area the size of 2,000 rugby pitches of trees, causing an autoroute to Spain to close temporarily and residents to evacuate their homes. The fire, the latest of several in the area in recent days, started on the property of a winery south of the city of Narbonne on Monday afternoon, then spread rapidly due to wind and parched vegetation after a heatwave. More than 1,000 firefighters battled the flames overnight, but by the morning the inferno had partially damaged 2,000 hectares (4,900 acres) of land and was still going strong, local authorities said. Local official Christian Pouget said six homes had been partially affected. 'The fire has still not been brought under control,' he said. In the village of Prat-de-Cest on Tuesday morning, trees were blackened or still on fire. As she watched fire trucks drive to and fro, retiree Martine Bou, who did not give her age, recounted fleeing her home with her cats, tortoises and dog on Monday afternoon before returning. But her husband Frederic stayed all night to hose down the great pines on the other side of the road so the fire would not engulf their home. 'I've never seen anything like it. I have never lived next to such an enormous fire,' he told AFP, reporting flames dozens of metres (more than a hundred feet) high. French weather service Meteo France said the risk of fires remained high on Tuesday. Authorities closed the A9 autoroute to Spain, but on Tuesday morning they said they were progressively reopening the route to traffic. Meteo France said this weekend that a punishing heatwave that began on June 19 had officially ended on Friday, lasting in all 16 days -- the same length as the country's deadly 2003 heatwave. That same day, however, the first major fires of the season broke out in the south. Scientists say human-induced climate change is increasing the intensity, length and frequency of the extreme heat that causes some forest fires. – AFP
