On a public holiday, a fire broke out in a 13,000 m² waste storage facility at around 11 a.m. Thick black smoke was visible from outside the premises. A witness raised the alarm, and a significant fire brigade response was deployed, but strong winds disrupted their intervention, causing the fire to spread. The operator covered 4,500 m³ of waste with inert materials. The following day the fire had started up again, so, at around 6 a.m., the fire brigade sprayed down the hot spot. It was put out in the middle of the afternoon, and the site’s water treatment plant processed the extinguishing water. The measurements in the air were not excessive in terms of regulatory values (for SO2 and NOx).

The fire burnt 10,900 m² of waste, i.e. 1,100 m³. The area had not been in operation for several months, and a layer of shredded green waste had been used to cover the waste temporarily. More than a third of the cell was damaged. The geomembrane and the bottom of the landfill cell were also damaged over an area of 1,560 m². The extinguishing water supply network, a biogas collection system, leachate and biogas networks were also damaged.

The distance from the fire hydrants and the lack of a fire engine at the site had slowed down the firefighters’ response. The firefighters’ poor understanding of the site also hindered their response.

In the morning, 2 trucks had unloaded waste at the discharge platform in the landfill’s operating area, contrary to the procedure which stipulates that waste can only be brought in when the site is open and dedicated personnel are present to perform the compaction and covering operations. None of the three technicians on the spot detected the fire outbreak, and a third party eventually reported the fire.

The temporary thin layer of shredded vegetal waste was spread out to reduce fly ash and rainwater infiltration; it generally does not constitute a good fuel. It is unlikely that the outbreak of fire was related to this intermediate cover.

Following the accident, the operator set up a mobile check-in system for cells currently in operation to oversee the technicians’ work more effectively. Waste can only be brought into the cell when an operator is present. Fixed and portable thermal cameras were installed. In addition, the operator trains all the staff in fire response procedures through monthly drills. It has also set up a plan for organising emergency resources in partnership with the fire brigade.

Finally, the operator plans to reduce the time from when a landfill cell is filled and the placement of the final cover.