The cause of the extensive fire is believed to be a vehicle that caught fire on the highway. According to foreign media reports, the fire has already destroyed 700 hectares of land. The fire is said to be under control, but firefighters are concerned that strong winds will spread the fire. The nearest residents have already been evacuated, and others have been ordered to close their windows. They have also urged everyone not to obstruct the path of emergency vehicles. There are no reports of casualties so far.

Fire and smoke are also causing problems for rail traffic. Marseille Mayor Benoit Payan wrote on social media that the flames were"at the gates" of the city.

It is the latest in a series of fires in the south of the country, with more than a thousand firefighters battling the flames near the city of Narbonne since Monday, Reuters reports.

Fighting fireflies also in Spain

A little further west, in Catalonia, Spain, 450 firefighters are using planes and helicopters to contain a fire that has so far burned more than 3,000 hectares of land.

The Mediterranean is particularly exposed to the risk of forest fires after an exceptionally dry and hot June. The increasingly severe and frequent heat waves are a consequence of global warming, which is a result of human activity.