Marseille Provence Airport suspended all flight operations Tuesday as a fast-moving wildfire raged through 30 hectares near the southern French port city, forcing evacuations and sending thick plumes of smoke across the region during the peak summer vacation period.
The fire erupted around 10:50 a.m. local time in the town of Les Pennes-Mirabeau, approximately 10 kilometers north of France’s second-largest city, after a vehicle caught fire near the Quatre Vents tunnel on the A552 highway. Fanned by powerful mistral winds reaching 70 kilometers per hour, the blaze spread rapidly through dry vegetation, prompting massive emergency response.
Local authorities deployed 168 firefighters from both the Bouches-du-Rhône department and Marseille’s marine firefighters, supported by 68 fire engines and two helicopters. Air support included two Canadair water bombers and one Dash aircraft conducting repeated water drops to slow the fire’s advance toward residential areas.
At this stage, populations must remain confined to residential areas,” the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur prefecture posted on social media platform X. Close shutters, doors, keep your property clear for emergency services, and do not travel on the roads.
Airport operations came to a complete halt at 12:12 p.m., with all takeoffs and landings suspended indefinitely. A spokesperson for Marseille Provence Airport confirmed that flights had been diverted to alternative airports including Nice, Nîmes, and Lyon, while at least 10 departures were cancelled outright.
The airport closure affected France’s fourth-busiest aviation hub after Paris’s Roissy and Orly airports and Nice, disrupting travel plans for thousands of passengers at the start of the French summer vacation season. Airport officials posted an advisory stating: “Due to a fire at Pennes Mirabeau, landings and takeoffs are suspended until further notice. We advise you to contact your airline for more information.”
Michel Amiel, mayor of Les Pennes-Mirabeau, acknowledged the severity of the situation to AFP, stating “things are far from being under control.” Two housing estates, Littoral 1 and Littoral 2, were evacuated in the Jas de Rhodes district as flames approached residential areas.
An elderly care facility, the “L’Oustau Mira Beü” residence, faced imminent threat from the advancing fire. “The building is protected by firefighters stationed there,” Mayor Amiel assured, while expressing concern about the facility’s vulnerable residents.
French authorities activated the FR-Alert emergency system, sending warnings to hundreds of mobile phones in the affected area. The mass notification urged residents in the sectors of Jas de Rhodes, Pierrefeu, and Les Bouroumettes to remain indoors and follow safety instructions.
The prefecture specifically warned residents to avoid hindering emergency operations. Leave streets clear for security forces and rescue teams heading to the scene. Do not overload emergency call numbers (18, 17, 112),” the alert message stated.
Multiple major roads were closed to facilitate firefighting operations and protect motorists from smoke and flames. The A50 and A55 highways near Marseille were shut down Tuesday afternoon, while regional train services between Miramas and l’Estaque were suspended.
The Jas de Rhodes swimming pool was evacuated as a precautionary measure, and the Aix-Marseille metropolitan authority confirmed the closure of several access roads. Residents in Marseille’s 16th arrondissement were also ordered to shelter indoors pending localized evacuation orders.
According to firefighting officials, no casualties had been reported as of Tuesday afternoon, though property damage assessments were ongoing. One residential property was under direct protection from firefighters as flames approached, while emergency teams positioned themselves strategically around threatened neighborhoods.
The blaze represents the latest in a series of wildfires plaguing southern France following weeks of punishing heat waves. Météo France, the national weather
