In a cheese factory / diary, a fire broke out in the milk dehydration tower. The automatic sprinkler system for fire protection was activated in the chamber of the tower (powder temperature detection threshold set at 110 °C, the first indicator triggered an alarm at 103 °C), the power supply to all the facilities was automatically cut off. The emergency services were called. With the permission of the operator, the fire water was released into collective water treatment plant that mainly treats industrial effluents. The fire remained confined to the tower and no fumes were released into the atmosphere. An industrial boiler company inspected the spray tower and reported no damage on account of the start of fire. The operator re-started the facility on the 29th June morning with water and then started production in the afternoon.

Since the heavy fuel oil boiler that heated the spray tower airflow to 185 °C was obsolete, the steam pressure dropped causing a steep fall in the temperature of the tower. Since the concentrated milk was not sufficiently heated to dry, it adhered to the walls of the tower forming a deposit that ignited when the steam pressure was back to normal. The operator was aware of the boiler’s obsolescence and malfunctions and wished to replace it with a natural gas boiler. The connection of the site to the natural gas network required laying down pipelines on private lands. A public utility declaration procedure was filed but the outcome was still pending. The new natural gas boiler would be installed as soon as possible.