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ASSOCIATED PRESS
Firefighters battle a fire that reached the old center of Funchal, the capital of Portugal’s Madeira island. Forest fires in Madeira forced the evacuation of more than 1,000 residents and tourists.
MARSEILLE, France >> Authorities say wind-whipped fires are no longer threatening the French city of Marseille, but hundreds of people remained evacuated.
At least two wildfires had been burning toward the Mediterranean port city, forcing the airport to reroute incoming flights to make way for firefighting aircraft. With winds still high, authorities said Thursday the danger was not over for some nearby French towns and highways in the area were closed.
Firefighters in Portugal are also battling multiple blazes fed by brush in a hot, dry summer. A total of 186 wildfires were counted Wednesday on Portugal’s mainland alone.
The origins of the French fires, which started in Rognac, north of Vitrolles, were unknown. Two arrests were made in the deadliest Portuguese fire, the one on the island of Madeira that killed three people.
Dangerous wildfires fueled by Mistral winds.