A wildfire that reached the northwestern outskirts of France's second city of Marseille lost intensity overnight, but firefighters were still battling the flames on Wednesday. Residents who had been told on Tuesday to stay in their homes for their own safety were once again allowed out.

A fast-moving wildfire reached the outskirts of Marseille, France’s second-largest city, on Tuesday, leading its airport to be shut down, with residents told to stay indoors and shut all openings to be safe from the smoke.

France is bracing for a risky summer. The national weather service has classified the Mediterranean arc at 'high' or 'very high' fire alert. While the country has learned lessons from major blazes in 2022,