A large fire erupted at a car dismantling facility, Démolition auto, located between the towns of Baulme-la-Roche and Blaisy-Haut in Côte-d’Or, France, on Thursday, March 19th. A plume of black smoke was visible for kilometers, prompting a significant response from firefighters across the department.
The fire, which began in a hangar at the facility, quickly escalated, with flames spreading to a residential structure on the property, according to Baulme-la-Roche Mayor Raphaël Verjux. “Everything starts to explode, and the fire is now spreading to the house on the site,” Verjux told local reporters.
More than sixty firefighters were deployed to the scene, drawing resources from numerous fire stations including those in Aiserey, Dijon, Gevrey-Chambertin, Is-sur-Tille, Mirebeau-sur-Bèze, Montbard, Nuits-Saint-Georges, Pouilly-en-Auxois, Précy-sous-Thil, Saint-Seine-l’Abbaye, Semur-en-Auxois, Sombernon, and Val-d’Ouche. The Côte-d’Or Departmental Fire and Rescue Service (SDIS 21) activated its operational center in Dijon to coordinate the response and ensure continued emergency services coverage throughout the department.
As of 2:30 PM local time on Thursday, the fire was brought under control. While 3,000 square meters of storage space and an 800 square meter building were saved, approximately 4,000 square meters of vehicle parts were destroyed, along with the residential structure. The SDIS 21 anticipates temporary unemployment for five individuals as a result of the damage.
Authorities are currently investigating the cause of the fire, with initial indications pointing towards an accidental ignition within the hangar. The site was described as “isolated” by firefighters, and no evacuations of nearby residents were deemed necessary despite strong winds that fanned the flames.
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