Flights to and from Marseille have been suspended and traffic at the city’s main train station was disrupted due to a wildfire near the southern French port city.

Flames licked the outskirts of Marseille on Tuesday, with residents warned to stayed inside, close doors and keep roads clear for emergencies.

Residents returned to their devastated homes on Wednesday after a wildfire on the fringes of Marseille destroyed or severely damaged dozens of houses and turned cars into blackened shells.

APOCALYPTIC” blazes have forced Marseilles International Airport to shut down as France braces to tackle raging wildfires. Plumes of acrid smoke billowed into the sky – causing

A thousand firefighters have been mobilised to battle a wildfire that has reached the outer edge of Marseille, France's second largest city. "The marine firefighter battalion is waging guerrilla warfare, hoses in hand," said the city's Mayor Benoît Payan, referring to Marseille's fire and rescue service.