Pollution
Humain
Environnement
Economique

Fanned by severe winds and facilitated by the drought, a major fire ravaged 9 ha of an industrial area. At 2 pm, an initial deliberate outbreak of fire set a cypress hedge on fire and spread to an agricultural products trading company where it destroyed a 1,500 m² building storing 1,000 t of plastic. In addition to the material damage estimated at €3 million for the company, 20 employees were temporarily laid off. At around 2.15 pm, the fire leapt across a street, set another cypress hedge alight and by domino effect spread to a 40,000 m² outside stock of pregystyrene (polystyrene double-layered plasterboard) in a plaster product manufacturing plant (ARIA 28238). The flames spread over a building, and set alight another hedge of trees and a bin full of cardboard but the plant’s transformer was spared as it was protected by firewalls. The loss of stock was assessed at €700,000 and material damage at €150,000. The fire then spread through the industrial estate where it destroyed 3 m³ of tyres, 10 vehicles parked in the car park and 2 residential homes. Several gas cylinder explosions were heard for almost ¾ of an hour. The water department stepped up the hydraulic network to 300 m³/h and the emergency services used water from the Carpentras canal. Assisted by a helicopter and 2 observation aircraft, it took the 200 fire-fighters six hours to completely extinguish the fire, which released a huge amount of black smoke that could be seen 60 km away and required the evacuation of 100 employees and 500 residents. Two first aiders were injured during their intervention. Floating booms were set up to channel and isolate the fire extinguishing water. Following this fire that caused massive damage to property, the operators on the industrial estate are jointly reviewing the potential risks for their installations.