Chemical Warehouse Fire in France: Residents of Five Towns Told to Stay Indoors

In eastern France, a 500-square-metre warehouse caught fire in the industrial zone of the town of Hagondange, on the site of Safe (SUEZ Alternative Fuels & Energies), a company specialising in waste processing, biogas production and industrial decarbonisation. According to the prefecture, the blaze broke out on Sunday afternoon, and thick black smoke has been hanging over the area ever since.

The facility falls under the EU's Seveso Directive, which regulates the handling of hazardous substances and was adopted following the highly toxic dioxin leak in the Italian town of Seveso in 1976.

Authorities have urged residents of five towns — Hagondange, Amnéville, Vitry-sur-Orne, Cluoange and Rombas — to stay indoors until further notice. "As a precaution, we are asking residents of these municipalities not to leave their homes until the alert is lifted," the prefecture said in a statement.

Hagondange Mayor Quentin Bigot put the official warning in simpler terms for residents on social media: "Stay home, close all doors and windows. Avoid any unnecessary trips or movement. Under no circumstances approach the fire zone."

One resident of Amnéville described the situation bluntly: "The air is simply unbreathable." A total of 130 firefighters and 75 vehicles are working at the scene, including specialised units trained to handle chemical incidents. The rescue operation is ongoing, and the Moselle prefecture has promised to keep residents updated as new information becomes available.

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Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz