France: Over 300 firefighters battle two wildfires near Marseille

Strong winds and high temperatures fanned two separate fires in the Bouches-du-Rhône region of southern France on Wednesday evening. The blazes erupted in Rognac and Lançon-Provence, towns about 20 kilometers north of Marseille.

Firefighters reported that the fires were still not contained as of 10:50 p.m. local time. The fire in Lançon had already spread across approximately 100 hectares of forest, while the Rognac fire covered 20 hectares. A significant response was underway, involving 360 firefighters and 150 vehicles. The local D10 road was closed to aid their efforts.

A strong smell of burning was noticeable as far as Marseille. Fire officials stated that it was impossible to predict the fires' trajectory that evening, emphasizing that "the night will indeed be decisive." No evacuations were ordered, as the primary focus was on protecting residential areas in Lançon-Provence and Rognac, as well as "sensitive industrial sites" in the Fos-sur-Mer gulf area. This industrial zone is one of Europe's largest and includes numerous Seveso 2-classified facilities, which handle hazardous materials.

Earlier in the week, Météo-France had placed six southern French departments, including Bouches-du-Rhône, on high fire danger alert. Many forest areas in the Var and Bouches-du-Rhône regions were already off-limits to the public, with 22 out of 25 forest massifs in Bouches-du-Rhône set to be closed on Thursday.