Two disused buildings collapsed in Rouen, after a violent fire on Saturday September 30 at the end of the day.
[Updated October 1, 2023 at 11:10 a.m.] In a press release published on the night of Saturday September 30 to Sunday October 1, the Rouen town hall indicated that a fire had “started in an abandoned eight-story building ( …) around 6 p.m.” and that it had “spread in the evening to a second disused building.” He added that the two buildings had collapsed, releasing large plumes of smoke above the city.
If the fire “now appears to be contained and the risk of spread has been eliminated”, according to the municipality, nearly 130 firefighters have been mobilized. This impressive fire did not cause any casualties, according to the firefighters, reported by BFMTV. However, the two buildings decommissioned since 2018 contained asbestos. According to the town hall, “concerning the toxicity of the smoke, measurements were carried out by the departmental fire and rescue service (SDIS) throughout the operation (…). No dangerous threshold was set noted”.
Further analyzes must be carried out this Sunday. The City of Rouen asks residents “not to pick up the potential fallout, while waiting for the results”. Nursery and elementary schools located near the fire will remain closed as a “precautionary principle”, said the town hall, which will open a crisis unit.
