Families describe wildfire 'nightmare' as Marseille came close to disaster

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Standing by the charred remains of the Marseille wildfire, you admit however adjacent France's second-largest metropolis came to disaster.

The inferno raced down the hillside towards the bluish suburbs, fanned by 45mph winds.

At its peak, the occurrence beforehand was moving by 1.2km each minute.

Somehow - whether it was heroics of the 1,000 firefighters oregon conscionable accidental - the flames skirted the precise borderline of houses connected the hill.

Then it came to a halt conscionable the width of a roadworthy from a analyzable of flat blocks.

Marseille wildfires. For Thomas Moore transcript  connected  wildfires 09 July 2025.

John speaking to Thomas Moore successful  Marseille. For Thomas Moore transcript  connected  wildfires 09 July 2025.

Image: John said the occurrence reached the borderline of his street

We met John, who stood retired connected the thoroughfare with his young family, watching the flames beforehand towards his house.

He told maine the fume was truthful dense helium could not adjacent spot the helicopters hovering overhead, dropping tonnes of h2o connected the burning scrub.

Marseille wildfires. For Thomas Moore transcript  connected  wildfires 09 July 2025.

"We could spot helicopters dropping disconnected h2o connected the fire. We could really besides spot the occurrence connected the borderline of the road," helium said.

"It was precise serious. Everywhere was similar it was fog. The clouds were black, determination was fume everywhere.

"It was a large shock. Yesterday was a nightmare, but present we are waking from that atrocious dream."

Not everybody has been truthful lucky. At slightest 60 houses person been damaged, immoderate destroyed.

Marseille wildfires. For Thomas Moore transcript  connected  wildfires 09 July 2025.

According to the authorities, much than 700 hectares person been burnt truthful far.

The strength of the occurrence has eased, but it's inactive progressive connected the edges wherever determination is writer and scrub, tinder adust from weeks of scorching vigor and not a driblet of rain. A odor of fume lingers successful the air.

French firefighters cheque  a location   destroyed by a wildfire successful  the L'Estaque territory  of Marseille, confederate  France, July 9, 2025. REUTERS

Image: Firefighters cheque a location successful Marseille. Pic: Reuters

Two twelve oregon truthful radical are successful hospital. Another 110 person insignificant injuries.

The French interior curate said it was unthinkable cipher died.

Summer wildfires are communal astir the Mediterranean. But the occurrence play has started aboriginal this year.

Read more:
More than 110 injured successful wildfire
Wildfire is 'at the gates' of Marseille

And with temperatures inactive high, and nary motion of rain, the hazard of much - and possibly worse - fires stay high.

People surviving connected the borderline of municipality areas would person erstwhile gazed retired connected the forests and seen beauty.

But having witnessed wildfires expanse truthful adjacent to their homes, they volition present recognize them arsenic a imaginable threat.

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