Several fires were burning Tuesday evening near Marseille, which, fanned by high winds, destroyed around 300 hectares of vegetation in a coastal area of Martigues, a-t-on learned from the authorities. This last fire was triggered in the middle of the afternoon in the south-west of Martigues, on the edge of Carry-le-Rouet and Sausset-les-Pins, in the open forest.

"It is a pine forest, there is no home for the moment threatened, but he must avoid, taking account of the wind,that (the fire) slides to the areas most popular tourist attractions," said the region prefect Pierre Dartout. "For the moment, the fire that is of the greatest concern to my knowledge is not a threat to the industrial facilities ", he added, referring to the industrial-port area of Fos-sur-Mer, near which another fire was triggered.

Evacuation of the area around Martigues

The mairie de Martigues has announced in a press release to proceed with the evacuation of a sector and it was recommended to inhabitants to remain at home pending instructions. From 18: 00, a portion of the A55 motorway between Marseille and Martigues has been cut off. A journalist of the Agence Frnace-Presse presents to the Crown, by the sea, saw huge plumes of black smoke and flames in the side of the road as well as aircraft water bombers Canadair in action.

More than 1,000 firefighters were deployed Tuesday evening and received the reinforcement of aircraft water bombers. Since the weekend, access to all the massifs of the Bouches-du-Rhône has been banned because of strong winds and temperatures that increase the risk of fire.

Updated Date: 04 August 2020, 15:33