Wildfire in southern France leads hundreds to be evacuated

Hundreds of people have been evacuated from homes in the path of wildfires in southern France.

The blazes are moving in the direction of the Mediterranean port city of Marseille with the help of high winds.

The fire has destroyed homes in the town of Vitrolles, about 25km north of Marseille, and in nearby Pennes-Mirabeau.

“The fire is progressing. It’s progressing fast,” Marseille’s deputy mayor Julien Ruas said on BFM-TV, adding that the city was setting up firewalls on the corridor leading toward it. However, if the fire passes those, “it will move toward the northern neighbourhoods of Marseille,” he said.

He described the size of the fire “absolutely exceptional” and advised people to stay off the roads.

The Guardian cites France’s interior minister, Bernard Cazeneuve, who said four firefighters were injured, three of which seriously, while battling a blaze in the nearby Herault region.

That fire – and a fire in an industrial area outside Marseille that stocks oil and petrochemicals – were reported to be contained while other blazes raged north of Marseille and moved southward.

Cazeneuve said 1,800 firefighters had been mobilised to fight blazes that have destroyed more than 2,000 hectares of land, including some homes. Around 400 police officers were helping towns secure homes and firefighting aircraft, including Canadairs and Trackers, were mobilised.