"Violent winds are exposing the area to the risk of new fires," Rampon said, adding that the dry vegetation was a "matter of concern". Fires damaged many houses and several industrial buildings in Vitrolles, Rampon said. Photo: AFPAFP · 11 Aug 2016, 11:28Published: 11 Aug 2016 11:28 GMT+02:00Firefighters tamed wildfires on the northern edge of the French port city of Marseille overnight as strong winds and dry conditions threatened new blazes in the south, local officials said on Thursday. At the port of Fos-sur-Mer, northwest of Marseille, 800 hectares (2,000 acres) went up in flames on Wednesday, local official Jean Rampon told AFP. Forest fires in the Portuguese holiday island of Madeira meanwhile claimed three lives and forced around 1,000 people to flee their homes.

Source: The Local August 11, 2016 09:33 UTC