Major wildfire near Marseille shuts down airport

Paris [France], July 9: A fast-moving wildfire on the outskirts of Marseille forced the city's airport to stop operating on Tuesday afternoon.
Planes had not been taking off or landing since around midday and some flights had been diverted to Nice or other regional airports, according to a spokesperson for Marseille airport.
The local fire service said 168 firefighters were deployed to fight a wind-driven wildfire burning across 350 hectares (860 acres) hectares near the town of Les Pennes-Mirabeau, located to the northwest of Marseille.
"At this stage, populations must remain confined to residential areas," the Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur region posted to X.
"Close shutters, doors, keep your property clear for emergency services, and do not travel on the roads," it added.
The Marseille municipality also posted on X, asking people to "avoid all outdoor activities" and follow instructions and alert messages.
Marseille mayor Benoit Payan on X warned residents that the fire was now "at the d oors of Marseille", urging inhabitants in the north of the city to avoid traveling on roads to clear the way for rescue services.
A spokeswoman at the mayor's office for the 15th and 16th boroughs of Marseille, which borders the town of Les Pennes-Mirabeau, said the area on the outer limits of the city was increasingly threatened by fire.
Residents said they were asked to stay home and close doors and put damp cloth on any opening, but were yet to receive orders to evacuate.
Meanwhile, a wildfire that started near the southwestern coastal city of Narbonne on Monday has destroyed some 2,000 hectares of land, and continues to burn in the area.
Several European countries were on high alert for extreme heat and wildfires in the months of May and June as an early summer heat wave broke recorde and pushed temperatures exceeding 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius) in countries like Spain and Greece.
Wildfires were still raging in northeastern Spain as of Tuesday evening, while wildfires in Greece's biggest island, Crete, had forced the evacuation of more than 1,500 people from homes and hotels last week.
Source: Qatar Tribune