Forest fire ravaged southern France, over 3,000 locals evacuated

On Tuesday almost 3,000 people were evacuated from homes and camping sites near Marseille in southern France as forest fires tore through 1,000 hectares (2,500 acres) of vegetation, some evacuated by boat. Some people had to be saved by sea from camping sites and beaches.

Photo credit: dw.com

In hot, dry summer conditions, the fires broke out late Tuesday afternoon, and spread quickly, fanned by the wind — up to eight kilometres (five miles) in two hours, firefighters said.

Officials said, about 1,800 firefighters battled blazes fanned by strong winds overnight and 14 sustained light injuries, luckily no civilians were hurt.

The occupants of an old people’s home and other locals, as well as tourists from France and abroad, had to be rescued as flames devoured the Blue Coast — a pine tree-lined area between Marseille and Martigues on the Mediterranean shore.

The fire service said, the fire started at the homes and eight campsites near Martigues, and Sausset-les-Pins were evacuated “as a preventative measure."

Firefighter Jean-Eric Lepine, his eyes reddened by fatigue said

It was an exceptional fire, unheard of: it was advancing at the speed of a tornado,

Every three minutes, there were gas explosions because of the bottles installed in the bungalows, 

Fortunately, the fire did not cause any casualties and we were able to save about 15 houses.

Parisian Luisa Amoura said that it was like a movie set, contemplating the blackened carcass of her mobile home, devoured by flames which reduced the Lou Cigalou caravan park to a graveyard of scarred trees, burnt-out bungalows and cars.

Some climbed some rocks to take refuge, others run in the beach as they could see the flames is coming closer. Most of the people just left everything behind.

When the fire where under control many others were taken in by locals whose homes were spared. The blazes were brought under control Wednesday, said a firefighter, as winds eased.

The cost of the material damage has yet to be evaluated.

Between 2015 and 2019, some 9,300 hectares of forest burnt on average each year on France’s Mediterranean coast.