At around 3:45 p.m., a fire broke out in a concrete-block cell containing 100 m³ of polyurethane foam extracted from dismantled refrigerators. The cell is located in a plant where waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE consisting of large home refrigeration appliances) are taken apart and shredded. Contractors on the scene attacked the flames with a fire-hose reel and notified the operator and firefighters. The fire was extinguished at around 4:00 p.m. Upon arriving at the site, the firefighters took over and finished spraying the mound of polyurethane foam (PU). The firewater was absorbed by the mound of foam. The burnt waste was pooled with the other foam waste and incinerated at a cement plant per procedure.

Several possibilities were put forward:

• criminal act: the wire fence surrounding the site was inspected with the gendarmes.
• burning-glass effect: according to the operator, the waste contained more small pieces of aluminium-coated plastic than usual. A pellet press used for extracting gas from the polyurethane foam of scrapped refrigerators was being tested and adjusted. The presence of large amounts of aluminium pieces was related to the startup of the line and the settings of the airflow separation. The operator suggested that these aluminium residues were ignited by the burning-glass effect.
• spontaneous combustion.

Following the accident, the operator had a loss assessor evaluate the fire risk on the entire site.