The violent fire which broke out on Tuesday around 6 p.m. near Martigues (Bouches-du-Rhône), has already devastated more than 1,000 hectares of vegetation, according to firefighters.
This Wednesday, August 5, 1,800 firefighters are still mobilized. “The fire is developing favorably, but it is not under control,” they said. “No serious injuries to deplore, but the material damage remains to be assessed,” added the firefighters.
Firefighters fought the flames through the night in an attempt to contain the blaze, fueled by gusts of wind sometimes reaching 90 km / h. Fourteen of them were slightly injured or intoxicated, according to France Bleu. The wind should calm down by late morning.
Some of the traffic axes are still closed: the departmental 49, which leaves from the A55 towards the south, as are the La Couronne and Sausset-les-Pins exits on the motorway. The D9, which passes north of these towns is also cut.
Evacuation by sea
2,700 inhabitants - especially from the Couronne district in Martigues - and tourists had to be evacuated by firefighters and the police, including 468 by sea. They were gathered on the beaches of the Côte Bleue, west of Marseille , and are mounted on boats of the marine firefighters of Marseille, as well as on requisitioned pleasure craft.
[#FiersdEtrePoliciers] #Incendie #Martigues Several hundred people evacuated from the campsites and stranded by flames. Hours during the #Police officers proceeded to evacuations by sea assisted by boaters. #HerosDuQuotien pic.twitter.com/zBNnRjJ1wr
- National Police 13 (@ PoliceNat13) August 4, 2020Sheltered in a gymnasium, lying on a camp bed, Zoe, 12, on vacation with her family at La Source campsite, says that she was "playing" when "my mum came to pick me up. in panic to take my things ”. "It was panic, we had to go down to the beach and we saw the flames approaching", explains her great-grandmother Maryse, 83, "reassured to have arrived in the gymnasium".
"Eight campsites in Martigues and Sausset-les-Pins were evacuated preventively" and many of their holidaymakers evacuated by sea before being taken in charge by the municipal authorities of Martigues and Sausset, in particular in gymnasiums, indicated the firefighters.
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They indicated in a tweet the places of accommodation for the victims.
🔴 [#FeuDeMartigues]
Need a place of accommodation? #Martigues:
-Gymnase Picasso Gacharelle
-Gymnase G. Philippe # LaCouronne: -Salle
Polyvalente @ saussetlespins: -Salle
des arts
-Gymnase Calmat @ carrylerouet_: -Salle
Rouet
-Salle Canepa # Carro: -
Multipurpose room pic.twitter.com/qCmZ8x9fag
Arrived on site around midnight, the Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin, hailed on BFMTV the work of the firefighters and deplored "a tragedy for the biodiversity of the Bouches-du-Rhône massifs".
Extremely important means are mobilized to contain this #feudeforet.
Support for the thousand firefighters from all over France who, at the moment, are doing everything to contain it.
To all the inhabitants of the department, follow the instructions of @ Prefet13. https://t.co/F7Y7W6GwsS
Since the weekend, access to all the forest areas of Bouches-du-Rhône has been prohibited due to the strong winds and high temperatures which increase the risk of fires.
Between 2015 and 2019, 9,300 hectares of forest burned on average each year in the departments of the Mediterranean coast.