A fast-moving wildfire driven by intense summer winds swept into France’s second-largest city on Tuesday, grounding all flights to and from Marseille, injuring at least nine people, and forcing hundreds of residents to evacuate or shelter indoors as thick smoke blanketed the Mediterranean air.
The blaze, which ignited near the town of Les Pennes-Mirabeau, quickly advanced toward the city, burning through approximately 720 hectares, according to officials.
More than 1,000 firefighters were deployed to contain the flames. A major hospital was forced to switch to generator power, train services in the region were suspended, and widespread road closures caused heavy traffic congestion across affected areas.