Large-scale fires in France have spread to areas with missile factories
In southwestern France, large-scale wildfires have approached defense industry facilities where rocket engines are manufactured and explosive materials are stored. Some facilities have already been evacuated, and security measures around the plants have been stepped up to prevent the fire from spreading.
Large-scale wildfires in southwestern France have posed a serious threat to defense industry facilities. The flames have reached areas where rocket engine manufacturing plants and warehouses containing explosive materials are located. As a result, authorities have evacuated some facilities and implemented additional safety measures. According to the publication, there are 35 Seveso-class industrial facilities in the Gironde department that use or store hazardous substances. At least seven of them are located less than 20 kilometers from the fire sites or are already in areas where evacuations were carried out.
Back on July 24, French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu ordered that security be stepped up at such facilities. Additional firebreaks began to be created around them, and dry vegetation was cleared from the surrounding areas to reduce the risk of the fire spreading. The facilities of ArianeGroup and rocket engine manufacturer Roxel, located in Saint-Médard-en-Jallies, are causing the greatest concern.
It is there that fuel is manufactured for Europe’s Ariane launch vehicles, as well as for strategic missiles. In addition, the company’s facility in Sainte-Hélène stores and processes ammonium perchlorate—a substance used in the production of solid rocket propellant.
ArianeGroup reported that all necessary measures have already been taken and employees have been evacuated. “Everything necessary has been done to ensure the safety of our employees and production with the support of the relevant authorities,” MBDA, one of Europe’s largest missile manufacturers, also stated.
It is not only defense industry facilities that are at risk. Companies such as Stockmeier, Univar, and Bardinet, which store flammable liquids, alcohol, and chemicals, also operate within the danger zone. Production sites belonging to Thales, Safran, and other companies that collaborate with the French defense industry are also located nearby.
As Le Monde notes, the risk of wildfires to hazardous facilities in France began to be taken seriously only after the catastrophic fires of 2022. A study by Callendar found that 316 Seveso-class facilities are located near forested areas and are potentially at risk from major fires.
The company’s president, Thibault Lacond, warned that this problem will only worsen. “Climate change will significantly increase this risk,” he emphasized. According to his projections, by 2050, about three-quarters of these facilities will be in a high fire-risk zone for at least ten days a year. Following the massive wildfires of 2022, French authorities tightened requirements for clearing areas around hazardous industrial facilities. ArianeGroup facilities have already conducted special drills on several occasions to prepare for the scenario where a wildfire approaches production areas directly.
During the current emergency, rescue workers are also creating firebreaks and clearing vegetation around the most vulnerable facilities. This is intended to help contain the fire and prevent it from spreading to strategically important facilities, according to Le Monde.
On Thursday, July 30, three migrants died while attempting to illegally cross the English Channel in a small boat near the French port of Dunkirk. This was reported by the local administration responsible for the English Channel and North Sea region.
