Apocalyptic view, fire burns forests and approaches Marseille, airport closed

A huge fire has broken out in forests near Marseille, in southern France, causing alarm among local authorities as the flames, fanned by strong winds, move towards the city.

Strong winds are reaching speeds of 70 kilometers per hour, making extinguishing difficult and accelerating the spread of the fire front.

The fire broke out near the town of Les Pens-Mirambeau, north of Marseille, and is moving towards the western outskirts of the city. The 15th and 16th arrondissements of Marseille have already been put on alert, with authorities urging residents to stay inside their homes, close doors and windows and avoid any movement so as not to obstruct the passage of fire and rescue vehicles.

The city has suspended operations at the airport, while emergency services are on standby for a possible evacuation order. At the same time, according to BFMTV, train traffic near Marseille-Saint-Charles station has also been partially suspended in both directions, with the fire reaching the tracks.

At the same time, Marseille mayor Benoit Payan urged residents to be "extremely cautious and limit their movements as much as possible, so that there is space for emergency services, especially in the northern part of the city."

The mayor of Marseille stressed that more than 700 firefighters are operating in the area, with 220 vehicles.

Thick smoke is already visible in the city, with the atmosphere becoming suffocating in the center of Marseille, where a strong burning smell is recorded.

"We were ordered to stay inside, through a message we received on our cellphone. We are awaiting further instructions," said Jacqueline Revilla, a resident of the area.

"Many of our neighbors have already left, we will stay unless the firefighters tell us otherwise," said Monique Bayard from Le Pen-Mirabeau. The Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region posted on the 'X' platform that " at this stage, citizens are asked to stay in their homes and not be on the streets ." (A2 Televizion)