Fire broke out at 12:58 pm in the machine room of a 15,000sq.m meat transformation facility where 2 subcontractors were working (performing maintenance?) on a transformer at the low-voltage distribution board. According to available information, the accident was caused by an electric arc on the transformer. The emergency response was significant in terms of both manpower and equipment: 74 fire-fighters, some 15 vehicles. The presence of thick smoke complicated the intervention inside this industrial unit, which was connected by a tunnel to the municipal slaughterhouse. The blast of an electrical cabinet injured one employee. A fire-fighter sustained slight burns and was intoxicated by the smoke release. The site’s 150 employees were all evacuated and the premises ventilated to remove smoke. First responders completed their mission around 2 pm.

The fire destroyed 20% of the facility’s floor area, including a portion of the machine room and meat storage zones. Extinction water was polluted by substances generated from the thermal degradation of animal carcasses, as well as from insulating panels and R22 type refrigerant fluids stemming from the damaged refrigeration installations (due to a domino effect). Placed in safe mode, the facility was disconnected from the water supply and electricity lines for 48 h, without phone service for 72 h and without gas for 10 days. Production premises were cleaned; 2.5 tonnes of rinsing liquid and 1.3 tonnes of polluted refrigerant were recovered and eliminated. A new circuit-breaker was installed on the refrigeration unit. The stability of the roof that had been weakened by flames was inspected by an independent body. Property damage was evaluated at €1.4 million, cleaning and decontamination work at €750,000, and production losses at €7.5 million.