Fire broke out at 9:30 am inside a 4,000-m² building at a tyre recycling plant. A huge plume of black smoke was visible several km around. Local gendarme officers sounded the alarm and then halted traffic. Some 100 fire-fighters prevented the fire from spreading to neighbouring companies and extinguished it using 6 nozzles. All the extinction water was collected, except for the portion that had run off on the roof prior to the roof’s collapse. The building serving to transform the tyres into a ground powder was destroyed, as was an operating room and a lorry. The storage and preparation zones, along with the storage zones dedicated to finished products were spared.

As per standard practice, staff had emptied the machines upon completion of the previous evening’s (Saturday) production run. The company, in business since 1998, had been placed in receivership on 19th May. The video-surveillance company noticed the flames alongside a vehicle, in the middle of a corridor; according to the classified facilities inspectorate however, the fire did not break out near the machines, which had been equipped with fire prevention devices. An investigation was carried out by the gendarmerie, relying among other things on sealed video recordings taken by control cameras. Subsequent to the inspectorate’s site visit, an emergency measure order was enacted on 15th July pertaining to an assessment of this fire’s impacts, focusing specifically on: the search for fallout pollutants from smoke on the ground; verification of extinction water quality at the site level and its elimination protocol; and control of discharge water quality and modification of the groundwater quality monitoring frequency (from twice a year to once a month). The operator was also reminded by Prefectural correspondence dated 15th July of its obligations relative to ensuring site safety and of the need to maintain continuity in prescriptions imposed by the Prefectural order signed on 29th April, 2008 concerning the watering of stock and site monitoring.

A 2nd inspection held on 24th July indicated that a site monitoring team was present around the clock, completing rounds every 30 to 45 min, making it possible for a residual fire outbreak (smoke reported on 20th July requiring emergency intervention). The inventory of finished materials (big-bag) was gradually depleted, while the stockpile of secondary materials (fibres) was disposed of at the cement works.

The company would be legally forced into liquidation on 4th August with immediate interruption of activity. However, no business closure memo or measures to secure the site were included with the order to cease activity. A draft injunction was thus drafted and transmitted to the legal agent. The focus was on ensuring that emergency measures would be followed by the legally appointed liquidator.