Firefighters managed to contain wildfires in southern France which threatened the city of Marseille.
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1500 firefighters are battling wildfires north of Marseille, which have forced more than 1000 people to flee their homes.
Around 500 people have been forced to flee their homes since Wednesday as flames fanned by strong winds consumed more than 3,000 hectares (7,400 acres) of mainly scrubland and forest and gutted several homes. Four firefighters were injured, with one in serious condition, while fighting a separate blaze in the nearby Herault region.
Today, authorities said that the wildfires are for the moment under control, but if the wind picks up it the fire may begin to spread again.
“The smoke was so thick that we couldn’t see the village, which is just a kilometre (0.6 miles) from here”, said Nathalie Dephino, an official at the centre.
French Interior Minister Barnard Cazeneuve told reporters that 1,200 firefighters were battling multiple fires.
Transport by road and air was badly affected by the fire on Wednesday, with two motorways closed and some flights cancelled at Marseille airport.
Firefighters worked through the night training jets of water high on to the orange flames against the dark night sky in Funchal’s narrow streets to try to protect its historic heart. Two arrests were made in the deadliest Portuguese fire, on the island of Madeira, that killed three people.
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. The fires are destroying homes and prompting the evacuation of thousands.
“At this time only one active fire remains, in the town of Calheta” in the west of the island, while blazes have been contained in Funchal and the neighbouring town of Camara de Lobos, a civil protection official said Thursday.
Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa visited the island Thursday, surveying the damage from the fires and tweeting: “Now we must move on to the next phase: restoring confidence and rebuilding what there is to rebuild”.
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In Spain, authorities said five major fires were raging in the northwestern region of Galicia, with 10 others under control.
