Imagine stepping outside and being met by smoke so thick it burns your throat.
That’s the reality in Marseille, where a fast-moving wildfire is forcing evacuations and leaving a trail of destruction.
Sparked—possibly—by a burning vehicle on the A552 motorway, the blaze has already destroyed 20 homes.
It has injured 100 people and displaced hundreds.
Gale-force winds up to 100km/h have made the fight harder. “It’s like guerrilla warfare,” said Marseille Mayor Benoît Payan.
“Everything depends on the wind, the humidity, and the night.”
What’s Happening Now?
More than 700 firefighters, aided by helicopters and water-bombing planes, are battling to contain the inferno.
Airport flights are grounded, train lines cut off, and much of the city has come to a standstill.
Residents have been urged to stay indoors, close windows, and hang wet cloths to keep the smoke out.
The Mediterranean, gripped by searing heat and worsening climate conditions, is becoming a hotspot for wildfires.
And Marseille isn’t alone—parts of Spain and Syria are burning too.
As Payan put it, “We’re in the middle of the battle.” And with summer just beginning, this could be a long, fiery fight.
When the skies turn orange, the question becomes: how ready are we for a future this hot?
