Pollution
Humain
Environnement
Economique

Fire broke out around 9 am on a moulding press at a factory manufacturing wooden objects (chair backs and seats, grinder flanges, etc.). The facility operated on a continuous basis. As part of the manufacturing process, wood particles were dried, pressed into moulds at high temperature and bonded by a glue (isocyanate, urea-formaldehyde or melamine-formaldehyde). The installation was shut down and electricity supply cut. The deployment of internal fire-fighting resources was not sufficient to contain the fire. The 94 external fire-fighters called to the scene prevented flames from spreading to the outdoor stockpiles of finished products and raw materials (glues, wood chips, particle boards) and the neighbouring forest. Around 2 pm, the fire was contained around an indoor stockpile of finished products; it was extinguished definitively the following evening. Five fire-fighters overcome by heat or suffering from intoxication and another 7 employees slightly intoxicated by the smoke were hospitalised; 1 emergency responder and 1 employee stayed the night for observation. Property damage was estimated at €16 million; the destruction of production machinery and ¾ of the 3,000 sq.m of factory floor space forced 65 employees laid off. 100 tonnes of finished product, composed of 95% wood and 5% glue, burned in the blaze. The local authority enacted an emergency measure. Site retention capacities proved inadequate given the heavy volume of extinction water sprayed; this water however was only slightly polluted and no impact was observed on the closest watercourse, the Lot River, flowing 1 km from the factory. According to initial findings from the insurance appraisal, an oil leak on a hydraulic power unit had ignited when in contact with the hot press (180°C).