At around 5.30 a.m., a fire broke out in an 894m² building used for storing bales of straw and hay at a dairy cow farm. The alarm was raised by an employee. The firefighters faced water supply problems due to the inadequate delivery of the fire hydrant located 500m away from the fire. The operator made round trips with liquid manure tanks. At the same time, water was pumped directly from the watercourse. During the connection of an anaerobic digestion project, 7 reels of gas pipes in high-density polyethylene (HDPE), located in front of the building, caught fire. The heat released reached the opposite building located 27m away. Five days later, straw and piles of sheets were still in combustion.

Eight of the 11 bays of the building were occupied by a store of 409 bales of hay and 510 bales of straw representing 910t and 4,635m³ of combustible material. The building and the reels of HDPE pipe were completely destroyed.

There could have been several causes of the fire: self-heating by fermentation of plant material, negligence or a deliberate malevolent act.

Following the event, the operator had to take the following actions:

• regular reporting of its store of fodder and straw in accordance with section 1510 of the list of classified facilities for environmental protection;
• upgrading of firefighting water facilities to cover all parts of the site;
• informing outside contractors of the risks and mandatory preventive measures.