FRENCH FLAMES
Huge fire in Paris sends black smoke across city of light as fire crews scramble to extinguish blaze
Shocking footage shows the enormous flames engulfing the building as giant plumes of smoke billow into the sky
A MASSIVE inferno has torn through a building in Paris, with flames and thick black smoke rising high into the sky and casting a dark cloud across the capital’s stunning skyline.
The fire, which erupted on Monday afternoon in the 17th Arrondissement, sent plumes of smoke visible from the suburbs to the Eiffel Tower.
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Dramatic footage shows flames ripping through the structure as cars pass just metres away with drivers staring in disbelief as the building burns.
Fire crews rushed to stop the flames spreading with fears of another catastrophic blaze like the 2019 Notre-Dame fire.
The Paris Fire Department deployed around 200 firefighters and 60 engines, along with two aerial platforms, to tackle the blaze, believed to have started in the basement.
The fire is still not under control and has already forced the closure of a nearby ring road in both directions.
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In a public alert, firefighters warned: "A major fire is currently underway on Boulevard de Douaumont in #Paris17. Avoid the area to let emergency services do their work. Residents, stay cautious."
Social media exploded with dramatic images of the smoke cloud towering above the rooftops, some mistaking it at first for an approaching storm.
From the southern edge of the Champ-de-Mars, visitor Malika from Toulouse told : “What’s this crazy? That’s not a normal cloud!”
All employees have reportedly been evacuated, and no injuries have been reported so far, according to the 17th arrondissement town hall.
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The blaze appears to have broken out at the Syctom waste sorting centre, a high-tech facility that opened in June 2019.
According to Syctom’s website, it is Europe’s leading public operator in domestic waste management, handling over 2.3 million tonnes of municipal waste from six million residents in Île-de-France.
Moment fire rips through busy market stall as onlookers watch in horror
The site is designed to process waste from over 900,000 Parisians.
Onlookers across the city have been posting dramatic images of the smoke cloud rising into the sky, mistaking it at first for storm clouds.
From the southern edge of the Champ-de-Mars, visitor Malika from Toulouse told Le Parisien: “What’s this crazy? That’s not a normal cloud!”
A nearby ring road was closed in both directions to facilitate emergency operations, and all employees have been evacuated, according to French media reports.
It comes after the world watched in horror as Notre-Dame Cathedral went up in flames nearly five years ago, in one of the most shocking blazes in modern French history.
On April 15, 2019, a fire tore through the 850-year-old landmark, causing the iconic spire to collapse and destroying the roof.
Flames raged for hours as firefighters battled to save the Gothic masterpiece, eventually rescuing its bell towers and priceless relics, including the Crown of Thorns.
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The cause was believed to be accidental, linked to renovation works under way at the time.
French President Emmanuel Macron vowed to rebuild the cathedral within five years—prompting a global outpouring of donations, topping €1 billion.
Painstaking restoration work followed, reconstructing the complex wooden frame, nicknamed the “forest,” and crafting a replica of the original spire.
After delays caused by the pandemic, the job was completed on schedule.
Notre-Dame officially reopened on December 7, 2024, in a grand ceremony that marked a proud and emotional moment for France.
Meanwhile, in Brazil, a huge flammable tanker overturned and crashed on a highway - drenching cars in a highly-flammable liquid.
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CCTV footage showed the tanker erupting in a massive ball of flame before setting dozens of cars ablaze.
The loaded truck, understood to be carrying gallons of ethanol, was moving on a highway in Santa Catarina, Brazil, when it shockingly flipped near the traffic.
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