In France, the municipality of Marseille is calling on all residents to stay home.

In a press release, the Municipality of Marseille calls on all residents of Marseille, and especially those living in the 16th arrondissement, to remain in their homes in order to avoid exposure to smoke produced by the fire.

As a precautionary measure, the city says it has made four gyms available to accommodate people who may need to evacuate.

Below are the areas affected by the fire north of Marseille

Almost 5,000 residents under lockdown

The fire is still progressing at a moderate pace, the prefect of the department assured on Tuesday afternoon, calling on 4,000 to 5,000 people closest to the fire to remain in their homes.

The fire has neither been stabilized nor brought under control.

Although the population exclusion has been lifted in many nearby communities, it remains in effect for some areas in the south, because the risk still exists.

The biggest challenge is to tackle the fire as quickly as possible so that it doesn't get out of control and force us to overhaul the entire system, the prefect explained. The fire will require the fire department to be present for several days, as we need to make sure we tackle the entire fire before the wind changes.

The wind is currently blowing offshore, but is expected to change direction Thursday night. An offshore wind, blowing from east to west, would have the effect of redirecting the current fires inland. On Tuesday afternoon, firefighters were battling the left flank of the fire, which was the most intense, and were mobilizing to prevent any re-ignition in areas that were still sensitive.

Impressive !!! 😱 #marseille #incendie #mistral #pennesmirabeau

— balou (@mesyeuxtesyeux) July 8, 2025