The Madeira fire forced the evacuation of more than 1,000 residents and tourists in the islands off northwestern Africa.
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The fire was halted on the outskirts of Marseille, France’s second largest city, on Wednesday night, the statement said, while a second fire destroyed hundreds of hectares in the city’s port area.
In southern France, the fires took hold yesterday afternoon and spread over 3,300 hectares of scrubland and wooded areas.
Four firefighters were injured, some of them seriously, while battling a blaze in Herault, west of Marseille. A blaze that had been moving rapidly in the direction of Marseille has been halted “at the gates to the city”, while other fires have been doused.
In Portugal, emergency services are fighting 12 major blazes across the country, with more than 1,700 firefighters, 558 fire trucks and 6 aircraft involved in battling the fires, the Portuguese National Civil Protection Authority said.
Wildfires in Madeira’s picturesque capital Funchal, which had turned the sky orange and forced foreign holidaymakers to be evacuated, were brought under control overnight.
In the Marseille suburb of Pennes-Mirabeau, one resident was too scared to return to her home after a harrowing night.
The Portuguese holiday island of Madeira was also counting the cost after three people were killed by fires. “It’s progressing fast”, Deputy Marseille Mayor Julien Ruas said on BFM-TV.
The three perished in their homes close to the historic centre of the capital Funchal, while a hotel overlooking the town was destroyed and other buildings were licked by flames, officials said.
“The situation has been complicated by the weather, with a strong wind and lack of rain for several weeks”, Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve told media.
Some 1,800 firefighters including many drafted in from elsewhere in France joined the battle backed by around 500 rescue vehicles, five air tankers and two helicopters and around 100 police, Rampon said.
The fire badly affected transportation by road and air on Wednesday, with two motorways closed and some flights cancelled at Marseille airport.
The origins of the French fires are unknown.
Authorities said while Marseille was no longer in danger, they were taking no chances because strong winds could force the fires to spread again although they had remained relatively light on Thursday.
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The most risky fire was burning around Fos-Sur-Mer, 25 miles northwest of Marseille, which is home to a large vast industrial zone where oil and petrochemicals are stocked.
