On January 17, 2023 at approximately 4:30 p.m. local time, a large fire broke out at a lithium battery storage warehouse in the Grand-Couronne industrial zone in Normandy. The fire produced a large, widespread cloud of smoke and multiple explosions, and spread quickly to an adjoining storage space which housed approximately 70,000 tires.
Firefighters were able to bring the fire under control by 11:30 p.m. local time. However, during the night a new fire started at a third storage space on the same site, this one containing textiles and pallets. The fire was fully extinguished at approximately 6 a.m. the next morning. Fortunately, news sources report that there were no casualties. The cause of the fire is currently unknown.
At the height of the fire, 137 firefighters, supported by 60 vehicles, were involved in fighting the flames. The firefighters were also assisted by Blackline Safety’s G7 EXO portable area monitors. G7 EXO’s rapid deployment capabilities and versatile mounting options meant that firefighters could quickly set up the monitors during the emergency. Firefighters and local authorities were then able to allay local residents’ concerns about the fire’s emissions by using G7 EXO monitors to sample and continuously monitor the air quality in multiple locations throughout the night. The continuous monitoring ensured that local authorities could act as needed if school closures or movement restrictions were required, which they were not..
A press release issued by the Préfet de la Seine-Maritime, stated that:
“From the beginning of the fire, different types and points of sampling were set up by the fire brigade in order to carry out air quality measurements, close to the fire, but also at the level of the first dwellings and in a more distant perimeter, including in areas which were not located under the smoke plume.
The results of these analyses carried out throughout the night by the air measurement network set up, confirm the absence of significant concentrations of substances in the air related to the fire. At this stage, no particular risk has been identified. Additional measurements and analyses are continuing.
As a result, the situation never involved evacuation, containment or even sheltering. No restrictions on the movement of people have been put in place and all activities will be able to take place … as usual.”
For the full source article (in French) see: https://www.francetvinfo.fr/france/normandie/seine-maritime/rouen/incendie-de-grand-couronne-les-riverains-inquiets-des-risques-pour-leur-sante_5608586.html
