What we know about the fire in the north of the Moselle.

On Sunday 2 August, a major fire broke out on the site of the company SAFE in the industrial zone of Gandrange (Moselle). It affected an industrial waste store on a site classified as Seveso (lower tier), and an impressive column of black smoke could be seen for kilometres.

As a precaution, the authorities asked almost 30,000 residents of several towns, including Gandrange, Amnéville, Rombas, Clouange and Vitry-sur-Orne, to stay indoors for several hours. The FR-Alert warning system was also triggered to inform the public quickly.

Thanks to the deployment of more than 130 firefighters and many emergency workers, the fire was brought under control in the afternoon. After air-quality measurements, the prefecture lifted the instruction to stay indoors, as the analyses had shown no danger to the public.

The cause of the fire is still unknown; an investigation is to establish it. The authorities are continuing their inquiries to assess the material damage.

Radio Tripoint is following the story and will keep you informed of any new developments in the coming hours.