Marseille forest fire extinguished

No victims and little damage following first major blaze of the summer

Published Modified

A FOREST fire which burned 900 hectares of land in the Bouches-du-Rhône has been extinguished.

Investigators believe it was started when a stolen 4x4 was set on fire in a forest bordering the Etang de Berre .

Winds of up to 90kph had fanned the flames over the course of the weekend.

A team of 750 firefighters used 130 fire engines and four Canadair planes to tackle the blaze.

No deaths, injuries or major damage are reported. About 2,000 holidaymakers at a campsite in Carry-le-Rouet were evacuated but damage to homes in the village was limited.

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