Marseille Wildfire Update: Injuries Reported, City Fights Flames

Marseille, July 9 (AP) - A wildfire that swept across France's second-largest city, leaving 110 people injured, was pushed back overnight but has not yet been fully extinguished, authorities reported on Wednesday. Marseille's mayor has lifted the confinement order previously issued to tens of thousands of residents.

Mayor Benoit Payan informed France-Info that as of Wednesday morning, the fire was in "net regression" after it surged towards the historic Mediterranean port city on Tuesday. This forced hundreds of residents to evacuate and mandated the entire population of a city district to remain indoors.

Aided by hot summer winds, the blaze caused the suspension of all flights to and from Marseille and disrupted train services across much of the region on Tuesday. Travel by train, road, and air remained complicated on Wednesday.

The mayor confirmed that 110 individuals required treatment for smoke inhalation and associated injuries. Over 1,000 firefighters were deployed to combat the fire, which originated near the town of Les Pennes-Mirabeau before advancing toward Marseille. According to the prefecture, approximately 720 hectares were affected by the blaze.

The prefecture described the wildfire as "particularly virulent." It broke out under clear, windy conditions following a prolonged European heat wave, which left the area dry and at increased risk for fires. Several wildfires have ignited in southern France recently, including one in the Aude region that has already burned around 2,000 hectares and continued to spread on Wednesday.

Light grey smoke created a dusty appearance over Marseille's historic port as water-dropping planes attempted to douse the blaze on the city's outskirts, which is home to approximately 900,000 people. (AP)

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