MARSEILLE, July 24: Some 400 firefighters were battling wildfires that destroyed 300 hectares northwest of Marseille on Saturday, authorities said.

The fires torched a local fire truck without causing injury, but a firefighter later received third-degree burns, the local fire brigade said.

Eight Canadair fire-fighting planes and four water-dropping helicopters have been deployed to try to prevent the fires from spreading to the southeast, it added.

Another fire described by firefighters as rather strong broke out at Velaux, also north of Marseille, forcing the closure of a portion of the A7 motorway, the Cordis motorway authority said.

One person has been injured in that fire, the regional fire department said, but it had no information on the extent of the injuries.

Earlier on Saturday 160 firefighters backed up by more than 40 vehicles managed to bring under control a fire in Carry-le Rouet, a beach resort just northwest of this southern French metropolis.-AFP