>> Follow the Martigues fire live
A major forest fire broke out on Thursday at around 7.00 pm in the town of Martigues, situated between the Étang de Berre and the Mediterranean, around 40 kilometres north-west of Marseille. On Friday morning, the fire was still not under control. According to the prefecture, it has already spread across 240 hectares. 973 firefighters, supported by 320 ground vehicles and aerial resources, have been mobilised to try to contain the flames.
Water-bombing aircraft (7 Canadairs and 2 Dash aircraft) and two helicopters were deployed before nightfall. The prefecture emphasises that “never before has a fire required such a large-scale mobilisation of resources” this year in the department.
At daybreak, the water-bombing helicopters resumed their efforts to tackle the fire.
The situation remains critical despite more favourable weather conditions
Despite rising humidity (40 per cent) and a change in wind direction, the authorities remain cautious: the fire is not under control and the flames are continuing to spread. As a precautionary measure, 104 people have been evacuated to reception centres in Martigues and Sausset-les-Pins. Two firefighters have sustained minor injuries, but there are no other casualties to report.
The prefecture has maintained the lockdown measures for the hamlets of Saint-Julien and Les Ventrons, emphasising their “active and mandatory” nature. A total of 120 homes were at risk. Assessments are currently underway to determine the extent of any damage. The D5 remains closed to traffic between the D49 and D9 roads in order to ensure the safety of residents and to facilitate the work of the emergency services.
A region recently hit by disaster
This incident comes just a few days after another major fire broke out on 8 July between Les Pennes-Mirabeau and Marseille, which burned across 750 hectares and affected 91 buildings, 60 of which were destroyed or rendered uninhabitable.
The town of Martigues had already been severely affected by a fire in August 2020, which had ravaged 1,000 hectares and led to the evacuation of holidaymakers by sea.
To track real-time updates on fires currently burning, see our map of forest fires. To find out the fire alert level for today, please refer to our alert map. And as for whether the weather conditions are conducive to fires or not, our forest weather is updated daily.