The prefect of Seine-Maritime had promised transparency after the spectacular fire which ravaged industrial buildings near Rouen, including a Bolloré Logistics warehouse containing thousands of lithium batteries: he published the first results of the analyses, which are intended to be reassuring.
The fire, brought under control on Tuesday evening, notably affected a warehouse where 12,000 lithium automotive batteries were stored in Grand-Couronne, on an unclassified Seveso industrial site.
It immediately raised concerns about possible risks to health or the environment, especially among a population still traumatized by the precedent of the Lubrizol factory in September 2019, when 10,000 tonnes of chemicals went up in smoke in a serious fire in the same area.
The prefect Pierre-André Durand had assured that there was this time
"no risk for the population"
and promised to disclose the results.
The main risk came from burning lithium batteries, which can release dangerous hydrofluoric acid.
Of the 28 measurement points set up by the firefighters on and around the site, the analyzes
“all showed that the level of hydrofluoric acid remained at zero”
, explains the prefecture in a press release.
The firefighters also checked the presence in the air in particular of nitric oxide, hydrochloric acid, hydrocyanic acid and hydrofluoric acid.
The atmospheric samples
“did not show any risk for the population in the department”
, adds the press release.
“Neither injured nor victim”
The fire broke out late Monday afternoon in two 6,000 m² cells, one containing 12,000 batteries and the other tires.
A third cell containing pallets and textiles from another company also burned down in the morning.
There is
"neither injured nor victim, no nearby destruction"
, welcomed the prefect.
The disaster presented
"no risk to the population"
, the first residents living more than 500 meters away, he assured AFP.
Edith Morainville, 71, lives in the town of Moulineaux, about 500 meters as the crow flies from the industrial zone and was in the front row when the warehouse caught fire.
She saw from her windows
“flames and explosions, like fireworks.”
“Neither the town hall nor the emergency services warned me to be careful (...).
We were not reassured, we were scared!”
, launches the retiree to AFP.
"I heard a big
'boom' (...)
Then the cloud started coming towards us"
, says Joël Wilmet, also 71 years old.
“With all these factories, there will no doubt be other fires, but we don't particularly live in fear”
.
Since Lubrizol, we should have immediate access to the list of products stored in the event of a fire, the insurance reports as well, we have seen that the Lubrizol report announced the disaster, currently we do not have them.
»
Simon de Carvalho, president of the Lubrizol victims' association
In the early afternoon, a few dozen people gathered in front of the prefecture on the initiative of a group of victims of Lubrizol.
"Since Lubrizol, we should have immediate access to the list of products stored in the event of a fire, the insurance reports as well, we saw that that of Lubrizol announced the disaster, currently we do not have them"
, regretted the president of the association of victims of Lubrizol, Simon de Carvalho.
“Zero risk does not exist”
, recognized the mayor of Rouen and president of the metropolis, Nicolas Mayer-Rossignol during a visit to the site.
“Our expectation is that these risks are contained as much as possible.
Measures have been taken and we demand full transparency
.
On the spot, some elected officials were surprised on Monday that, despite the thick smoke given off by the fire and the nature of the products, the sirens were not activated to put the population under cover.
"The
alerts
may have seemed long to arrive, but it must be understood that we can only communicate when we have the right elements"
, defended Julie Lesage, PS mayor of Grand-Couronne, underlining the speed with which
which firefighters were able to
"provide air quality analysis".
The causes of the fire are unknown at this stage.
The public prosecutor of Rouen announced the opening of an investigation.
