A forest fire that reached the northwestern outskirts of Marseille subsided overnight but the airport in France's second-largest city will remain closed, Reuters reported, BTA reports.
Local residents who were urged to stay home for their safety are now allowed to go outside again.
“With the fire in the north of Marseille now under control, this morning we can announce that the 16th arrondissement is no longer in lockdown“, wrote Marseille Mayor Benoit Payan in “Ex“. He added: "I urge all residents to exercise the utmost caution as emergency services continue their work."
Local authorities said the airport would be closed to commercial flights to prioritise air resources for fighting the fire, although some roads could be opened for emergency crews.
Local officials said it was too early for hundreds of residents who were evacuated to return to their homes.
Hundreds of firefighters, supported by helicopters and planes, continued to battle the flames, which were being fanned by winds of up to 70km/h, sending plumes of smoke over the southern coastal city.
The fire has spread to around 700 hectares but there were no reports of casualties and hundreds of homes had been saved, he said late on last night the prefect of the Bouches-du-Rhône region, Georges-François Leclerc.
Interior Minister Bruno Rétailleux reported that the fire was growing rapidly.
Reuters notes that in recent years, climate change has made forest fires in the Mediterranean region more frequent and destructive. This week alone and last week, fires have broken out in northeastern Spain, on the Greek island of Crete and in Athens.