Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

TheSmartCitizenReport.com

Analytics

Wildfire threatens Marseille, shuts down airport in southern France

A fast-moving wildfire reached the outskirts of Marseille, France’s second-largest city, on Tuesday, leading its airport to be shut down, with residents told to stay indoors and shut all openings to be safe from the smoke.

The blaze, fanned by winds of up to 70 kilometers per hour, could be smelled in the center of Marseille, residents said, as thick clouds of smoke hovered over the city.

“It’s very striking – apocalyptic even,” said Monique Baillard, a resident of Les Pennes-Mirabeau, a town north of Marseille where the fire, which has now burned across around 350 hectares, started.

Wildfires, which have become more destructive in Mediterranean countries in recent years due to climate change, 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.

As the fire was spreading, residents of Marseille’s 16th borough, which borders Les Pennes-Mirabeau, were also instructed by the prefecture to stay home, close doors and shutters and put damp cloths on any openings.

“The fire that started in Pennes-Mirabeau is now at the gates of Marseille,” mayor Benoit Payan said on X.

One bank worker reached by phone said: “The sky is grey with ash, and the smell of fire is very strong in the center of Marseille.”

Residents were told not to evacuate unless ordered to, to leave roads free for rescue services.

“At this stage, populations must remain confined,” 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 local fire service said on X that 168 firefighters had been deployed to fight the blaze. Fire engines and helicopters were also being used.

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.

Train lines heading north and west from Marseille were suspended due to a fire near the tracks, the SNCF train operator said.

Meanwhile, a wildfire that started near Narbonne, in southwestern France, was still active on Monday, fanned by winds of 60 kilometers per hour.

Some 2,000 hectares have burnt, the local prefecture said.

This post appeared first on cnn.com

Enter Your Information Below To Receive Latest News, And Articles.







    Your information is secure and your privacy is protected. By opting in you agree to receive emails from us. Remember that you can opt-out any time, we hate spam too!

    You May Also Like

    BREAKING NEWS

    Israeli authorities said four Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers were killed and nearly 60 people were wounded in a drone strike on a military...

    BREAKING NEWS

    Rescue services in Israel said over 60 people were wounded, some of them critically, in a drone strike in Binyamina, Israel, which the Lebanon-based...

    BREAKING NEWS

    Former President Trump ripped President Biden for going weeks without speaking with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as war continues raging in the nation,...

    BREAKING NEWS

    JOHANNESBURG – In what is described by some as electioneering and a last-minute attempt to leave a legacy, some observers say President Biden and...

    BREAKING NEWS

    Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are locked in an extremely tight contest for the White House, with voters virtually split...

    BREAKING NEWS

    Voters in storm-ravaged parts of the Southeast could face new hurdles at the ballot box this year following the destruction wrought by Hurricanes Helene...

    BREAKING NEWS

    Former National Institutes of Health employee Margaret Moore, accused by Republicans of helping others shield emails from the public, invoked her Fifth Amendment right...

    BREAKING NEWS

    A ‘painful’Israeli response weighs over the heads of the Iranian regime after their ballistic missile attacks on Tel Aviv on Tuesday.  President Joe Biden has...

    Disclaimer: TheSmartCitizenReport.com, its managers, its employees, and assigns (collectively “The Company”) do not make any guarantee or warranty about what is advertised above. Information provided by this website is for research purposes only and should not be considered as personalized financial advice.

    The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendation. Any investments recommended here should be taken into consideration only after consulting with your investment advisor and after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company.