PARIS (Reuters) – Some 900 tonnes of lithium batteries were on fire at a battery recycling plant in southern France, authorities stated on Sunday, sending out a cloud of thick black smoke into the sky above the website.
The fire broke out on Saturday in a storage facility owned by French recycling group SNAM in Viviez, north of Toulouse, regional councillor Pascal Mazet stated in a declaration on X.
Lithium batteries are important in electrical gadgets from phones to electrical cars and trucks, however include flammable products which, integrated with the energy they keep, can make them susceptible to igniting when exposed to heat – a prospective risk provided the hazardous products their burning can discharge.
In January 2023, a big fire broke out in a Normandy discount store automobile elements and countless lithium batteries, which was brought under control without triggering any casualties. Firemens stated there were no signs of the release of unsafe air contamination.
French media revealed thick smoke over the Viviez website and paper Le Monde reported that approximately 70 firemens were fighting to get the fire under control.
Charles Giusti, a regional authorities in the Aveyron prefecture that includes Viviez, stated on BFM tv there was no risk to individuals living close by.
The prefecture stated in a declaration over night that while the fire was under control, it was burning gradually and was anticipated to last for a number of hours.
SNAM did not right away react to an ask for remark.
A security note for the website cautions that in case of a significant fire, items present there were most likely to lead to the emission of cadmium through fumes.
Cadmium is extremely hazardous and unsafe to the environment, however the note stated that thinking about the environment of the factory and the behaviour of hazardous fumes, these need to not present an instant health danger to homeowners.
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