At a non-hazardous waste treatment and disposal facility, fire broke out around 9 am in summertime within the paper recycling sector of a sorting unit. In the 6,000-m² building, 4,000 m2 of this sector were separated from the 2,000-m2 “sorting chain” sector by a 2-hour fire wall crossed by a rolling belt and a fire door. These various sectors were storing bulk household waste over a 1,000-m² area (750 tonnes) plus paper and wooden pallets on another 2,000 m² (450 tonnes).
With sorting process staff on break, only the crusher was running in the paper recycling sector when an employee noticed flames on the conveyor belt 15 m from the crusher outlet. He turned off the equipment (crusher, conveyor belt, press, etc.), ushered fellow personnel out of the building and called first responders. Next, he unsuccessfully fought the blaze using 4 extinguishers and then the building’s fire hose cabinet. The 14 other employees on duty evacuated several lorries parked near the outbreak.
Fire-fighters, at the scene in 20 min, responded with some 100 men and 20 vehicles; they directed 4 water hoses at the fire, which could only be fought from the outside since the metal structure was at risk of collapse. They protected nearby installations: a diesel tank, and the maintenance workshop containing oils and solvents. The main building collapsed 2 hours after the onset of fire.
A black smoke plume was visible over a 30-plus km radius, with the wind pushing it towards the adjacent town. Toxicity measurements in air recorded by a chemical emergency squad proved negative. Traffic was suspended around the site periphery as well as on departmental roads in the vicinity, as the vehicles were damaging fire-fighters’ hoses. Extinction water was captured in the site’s retention basin and pumped prior to discharge by a certified facility. During the response, 2 fire-fighters were slightly injured (smoke inhalation and slipping on a ladder).
The evacuation of immersed wastes (1,600 tonnes) began two days hence with lorries, while construction vehicles removed the metal structure debris. One week later, the blaze was considered extinguished. The building was destroyed, as well as the household waste sorting belt and wood waste. All 120 employees were reassigned to other Group facilities for the 2 years allocated to design and rebuild the sorting unit, which was to be entirely sprinkled. The site had already experienced fires in 2001 and 2005 (ARIA 30635).
The presence of a metal object among the waste being fed into the crusher caused this fire outbreak. The operator updated the site’s safety report and strengthened applicable fire risk prevention measures.
