In a car battery factory (involving moulding of polymer tanks and lids, followed by insertion of both the battery’s lead connection terminals), fire broke out around 2 am near a covered stockpile of raw materials. Fire-fighters noted flames more than 30 m high. Wind blowing from the industrial park helped prevent the fire from spreading to a residential zone on the opposite site. The highly intense thermal radiation stemming from plastics combustion caused all factory windows to burst; moreover, trees located on-site 50 m from the outbreak burned and fire-fighters had to seek refuge behind the workshops. A smoke analysis indicated the presence of hydrochloric acid, hydrogen sulphide and trichlorethylene. Fire-fighters were hindered in their battle and denied access to the water reserve due to a zone overgrown with vegetation and no traffic path leading between the production workshops and storage tent. The blaze was extinguished around 5:15 pm. Property damage was extensive. Production machinery could be spared, but the inventory of 3,000-m² tanks containing batteries stored under tents was destroyed, and a manufacturing building sustained damage despite the protection efforts deployed by fire-fighters, three of whom were slightly injured. The extinction water was discharged to the municipal water treatment plant network (and possibly contained trace amounts of lead). The gendarmerie conducted an investigation to determine the causes of this fire; mention was made of firecracker use.