Pollution
Humain
Environnement
Economique

Within an agro-pharmaceutical industry, phytosanitary products packaged in small quantities and palletised (1-ton loads) ignited underneath an awning positioned against an empty building that had previously contained sulfur in bulk storage. The first alarm sounded at 7:30 pm; for 3 hours, emergency teams tried in vain to extinguish the fire by spraying water, before control could be achieved in a matter of a few minutes once they resorted to using foam: 24 of the 83 tons of phytosanitary products (fungicides and growth substances) warehoused at the facility were destroyed. A subcontractor had removed the roof during the day and cut the building’s wooden frame with a crosscut saw. The property loss was due to the heating and slow combustion of the wood, which would have been imperceptible at the time the work shift ended (the site was evacuated around 5:45 pm). The ignited beam that crossed through the partition wall extended beyond the awning. The fire grew due to the presence of sulfur residue on the walls and building structural frame and then spread to the packaged solid and liquid phytosanitary products, with combustion particles falling on the plastic covers. The loss of phytosanitary goods was estimated at 38,000 euros and the evacuation / incineration of the waste and contaminated soil at 185,000 euros. Piezometric monitoring allowed eliminating any soil pollution. An inspection of the regulated facilities incited the local prefect to request the operator to extend fire/work permitting procedures to the entire business, even outside zones with inflammable atmospheres, as the floors and walls would be better cleaned. Any subsequent action on this site will give rise to an inspection.

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