Wild forest fires force hundreds to flee homes in southern France

Wild bushfires raged across countryside close to Marseille on Wednesday gutting buildings and forcing more than 1,000 people to flee their homes.

A fire blazes at Les Pennes-Mirabeau on Wednesday. France mobilised 1,500 firefighters to deal with wildfires in the countryside north of Marseille Boris Horvat/AFP

The town of Vitrolles, which is located around 20 kilometres north of Marseille, was particularly affected. Homes were destroyed and more than 1,000 people were forced to seek shelter in local sports centres.

A plane sprays fire extinguisher to douse the fire in the region north of Marseille. Boris Horvat/AFP

French police stand at a roadblock as smoke fills the sky and blocks the sun as fires burn north of Marseille on Wednesday. Philippe Laurenson/Reuters

Further west in Herault, four firefighters were injured battling another blaze when their vehicle was surrounded by the flames.

According to firefighters, the fire, fanned by strong winds, spread over 5,600 acres of scrubland, grass and some wooded areas.

“We haven't seen a situation like this for a very long time,” the fire service said, first calling the wildfires “out of control” but later describing more favourable conditions in the night.

Dramatic images showed a helicopter battling to douse a blazing hillside with water just metres from a motorway close to Vitrolles, while one person was seriously injured in nearby Rognac.

The blaze – which comes after low rainfall in winter and spring left southeast France extremely dry – sent a huge pall of smoke into the sky over the port city of Marseille.

“The fire seems to be less intense than before but is not yet under control,” Marseille mayor Jean-Claude Gaudin said in a tweet.

“The situation has been complicated by the weather, with a strong wind and lack of rain for several weeks,” said Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve, who had travelled to the firefighters' base in Aix-en-Provence.

“The goal of our forces is to completely control the fire so that it does not reach the towns, especially Marseille,” he added.

Hundreds of extra firefighters have been drafted in from elsewhere in France to tackle the blaze.

Road and air transport were badly affected by the fire on Wednesday evening, with two motorways closed and some flights cancelled at Marseille airport.

80 hectares burnt in south west France

Around 80 hectares were burnt by bushfires on Thursday near the town of Montalba-le-Chateau in the Pyrenees-Orientale department in south west France.

Some 270 firefighters, including 60 from neighboring departments, were mobilized to douse the blaze which was fanned by strong winds.

The fire resulted in the closing of the main road between the towns of Tarerach and Montalba.

- with AFP