The Marseille fire was indeed of “accidental origin”

The investigation did not take long to discover the causes of the fire that spread to Marseille on Tuesday, July 8. "The findings made on site and using all available video equipment show that the fire was indeed of accidental origin," Aix public prosecutor Jean-Luc Blachon told AFP on Wednesday, July 9. "It was caused by a vehicle that caught fire while driving," he said.

The driver was driving "on the A55, on the slip road towards the A7, when he saw white smoke coming from the bonnet. He immediately stopped on the hard shoulder, got out and saw flames under the bonnet. He took safety behind the barrier, immediately called the fire brigade and waited for help."

"The car then caught fire completely and, with the wind, the fire spread to the nearby vegetation ," explained the prosecutor. "We can therefore say that we formally know the origin of the fire, and that this fire was not of criminal origin." The origin of the fire is therefore human, even if it is accidental.

The fire was declared "fixed" Wednesday at 4 p.m. by the prefecture, after traveling across 750 hectares, affecting 70 homes, 10 of which were completely destroyed, and causing significant disruption to transport. Around forty people were treated by emergency services, most for respiratory problems, as well as 28 firefighters and 26 police officers, according to a provisional report from the prefecture.