Huge Fire Breaks Out at a French Warehouse Holding Thousands of Lithium Batteries
A huge fire consumed a warehouse containing thousands of lithium batteries in Grand-Couronne, France on Monday evening. Several massive explosions were heard from the building and a thick plume of smoke can be seen from miles away. The fire is said to have spread to a nearby storage facility that holds car tires.
The fire reportedly began at around 3:50 pm on January 16 at the Bolloré Logistics warehouse at boulevard de l’île aux Oiseaux in the city of Rouen. Reports say that more than 100 firefighters and 60 vehicles have been mobilized to fight the blaze.
Firefighters at the scene reported that the fire first started in a storage area containing lithium batteries, estimating that around 8,000 batteries have been destroyed. The fire then spread to a nearby storage facility operated by Districash that contains 70,000 rubber tires.
Authorities have yet to determine the cause of the fire. People at the facilities were quickly evacuated and no casualties were reported. The prefecture explained that it might take several hours to extinguish the massive blaze, but reassured the people that the fumes are not toxic.
Bolloré Logistics has yet to issue a statement on the blaze.
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