A wildfire that reached Marseille has been pushed back but remains active. The mayor of France's second-largest city says that overall the fire is receding on Wednesday.

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.

Firefighting helicopters dumped water on the Marseille wildfire in France to contain the spread of flames. Dramatic footage shows the aircraft mid-air releasing fire suppressant over the blaze on July 9.

Driven by extremely strong winds, the fire affected dozens of homes in the north of the city and led to the evacuation of 450 people. No casualties were reported.

A wildfire threatening the outskirts of Marseille, France's second most populous city, was being fanned on Tuesday by a "Mistral" wind with gusts reaching 70 kph (43 mph).

A huge wildfire on the edges of Marseille started to retreat after injuring more than 100 people, forcing residents to evacuate and destroying a number of homes.

Shocking footage captured smoke covering a large part of Marseille Forest, with videos circulating online showing the massive scale of the blaze after it ignited today

A wildfire was "at the gates" of Marseille, the mayor of the French city has warned. The nearby airport was forced to temporarily suspend flights before a partial resumption. Hundreds of firefighters have been deployed,

Flights were halted at the city's airport and residents were warned to close windows to avoid inhaling toxic smoke.

Thick smoke engulfed rows of townhouses as a fierce wildfire raged through parts of Marseille, France. Footage captured by Hugo Bolza shows smoke blanketing the buildings, with several residents still seen strolling outside despite the worsening conditions on July 8.