In the surface treatment building within a plant dedicated to maintaining aircraft engines, fire broke out around 10 am in the suction duct of a paint booth undergoing dismantling. One of the two workers in the booth and a supervisor attempted in vain to control the blaze using powder extinguishers. Public safety services were notified, and the site’s emergency response team was deployed to the scene; 573 employees and subcontractors were evacuated. Having to face risks caused by electrical arcing, fire-fighters extinguished the blaze with a hose by 11:30 am, after experiencing difficulties turning off the utility lines. An employee overcome by the smoke and slightly burned on the hand required hospitalisation. No environmental impact was reported. Plant personnel resumed their activities at the beginning of the afternoon. The fire ignited when a grinder was used to cut the corner of duct sheet metal covered with paint residue on its back side. This cutting step was carried out to access the bolts located inside the duct and had given rise to a hot work permit. The paints were assumed to be non-flammable, yet they still contained aluminium and magnesium powders.

The site operator completed this works procedure by having the hot work permit validated by the plant’s safety/environment unit and verifying the type of residues present in those parts inaccessible to cleaning.