Adding to the destructive fires and explosions that happened this week, more than 1,000 hectares of vegetation was burnt to the ground in a forest fire that blazed Southern France.
More than 3,000 people from camping sites near Marseille and several homes were evacuated are the fire tore through the forest. Around 1,800 firefighters were sent out to battle the blaze that engulfed the forests.
Strong winds fanned the fire which made it even more difficult to contain, leading to 14 firefighters sustaining minor injuries. Officials also confirmed that no civilians were hurt in the fire.
According to ABS-CBN, as flames engorged the pine tree-lined area bordering Martigues and Marseille, known as Blue Coast, tourists, locals and several occupants of an old people's home were rescued. In addition, as a preventive measure, eight campsites and several homes were also evacuated from the area where the blaze first lit up. While some people has to be evacuated from campsites and beaches through boats.
In a statement by one of the firefighters who battled the fire, Jean-Eric Lepine, he described the fire as exceptional and unheard of. He also said that the blaze advance at a speed comparable to a tornado. He also added that there were gas explosions every three-minute interval due to the bottles of gas installed in the bungalows that were eaten by the fire. He also expressed relief that no casualties were reported and around 15 houses were spared.
Meanwhile, one victim who lost her mobile home identified as Parisian Luisa Amoura described the scene as if it was from a movie. She recalled the events while watching the remains of what was previously her mobile home that was burnt down after the fire reached Lou Cigalou caravan park.
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The site next to the caravan park, Tamaris was also burnt to the ground. Amoura recalled how people panicked while packing their bags. She also said that in order to stay safe from the fire, they took refuge in some rocks on the beach.
The said fire broke out late afternoon on Tuesday and spread easily as strong winds which blew at a speed of 8 kilometers per hour worsened the situation.
Eighty-three-year-old Maryse Escuder, a tourist who was at the La Source campsite with her family stated that they had to evacuate to the beach since they could already see flames coming closer to their site as panic began to fill the air. Escuder's family along with other evacuees spent the night in a gymnasium in Martigues.
Meanwhile, some who were affected by the fire were taken in by some locals whose homes were spared.
According to Aljazeera, by Wednesday, as the winds started to ease, the blaze was brought under control by firefighters in the area. Several businesses, homes, and about 130 hectares of property near Marseille-Fos which is an industrial port were destroyed by one of the fires.
The total worth of damaged properties destroyed by the fire has not yet been evaluated.
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