The fire broke out in a neighboring municipality to Marseille on Tuesday morning and spread quickly. Even from within central Marseille, you could see the smoke development during the day.
About 400 people have been evacuated and around a dozen houses have so far been more or less completely destroyed, reports Le Monde.
So far, no deaths have occurred, which is exceptional considering the extent of the fire, says Retailleau according to the newspaper.
On Wednesday, it is reported that the fire has decreased in strength, but that it is not yet fully under control.
Marseille Provence airport was closed on Tuesday and planes were redirected to other airports. Train traffic between Marseille and the northern and western parts of the country was also stopped on Tuesday, but has to some extent resumed during Wednesday morning, writes Franceinfo.