Major fire breaks out at grain silos on France’s west coast

A major fire broke out at grain silos in La Rochelle, western France, sending up a plume of black smoke that was visible from several kilometres away.

The blaze was first noticed at around 08:00 on Thursday (August 10), near the trading port Chef de baie in La Rochelle (Charente-Maritime, Nouvelle-Aquitaine).

The grain silos belong to the Sica Atlantique company. The fire started in one silo and has since spread to at least three others.

A team of 96 firefighters from Charente-Maritime were sent to tackle the blaze. The prefecture’s secretary general has now opened a departmental Centre Opérationnel Départemental to coordinate emergency service support.

The fire is thought to have been caused by a conveyor belt inside the silo, which is used to bring up grain. The silos typically store thousands of tonnes of wheat, but the grain itself is not thought to have been affected yet. Instead, it is the silo casing - which is made of wood - that is burning.

Lieutenant François Teaves, from the fire brigade, has so far said that the risk of an explosion at the site is very small. He told a press conference today: "In a silo, there is always a risk of explosion, but all the procedures in place will prevent it.”

Around 20 SICA staff members were evacuated, as was one nearby home, and all nearby businesses. A security perimeter of 100 metres around the silos has been established as a precaution, the prefecture secretary general said, with all fuel depots located at least 110m away.

Several roads to the area are also closed, and emergency services have asked that people avoid the area as much as possible to facilitate access for firefighters and emergency staff.

A huge plume of black smoke from the fire was initially visible from several kilometres away, including from the neighbouring department of Vendée, although the smoke is now white.

Local officials visited the site this morning to survey the scene and answer questions, including Sylvie Marcilly, president of the Charente-Maritime department, and Stéphane Villain, Mayor of Chatelaillon and President of SDIS 17 (the departmental fire and rescue service).

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