A warehouse storing 900 tonnes of lithium batteries waiting to be recycled caught fire this afternoon, amid growing fears about their dangers.
The fire in France occurred in a warehouse in the town of Viviez in Aveyron, and authorities told residents to stay home.
Locals were ordered to keep their doors and windows closed as thick smoke engulfed the city. No injuries or deaths were reported.
While the cause of the fire has not yet been confirmed, 70 firefighters were needed to control the flames.
Lithium batteries, found in electric scooters, are the fastest growing fire risk in London; Last year, the London Fire Brigade was called to an e-bike or scooter fire once every two days on average.
The fire in France has once again raised questions about the use and safety of batteries.
A warehouse storing 900 tonnes of lithium batteries waiting to be recycled caught fire this afternoon, amid growing fears about their dangers.
The fire in France occurred at a warehouse in the town of Viviez in Aveyron, and authorities told residents to stay home.
Locals were ordered to keep their doors and windows closed as thick smoke engulfed the city. No injuries or deaths were reported
Jean-Louis Denoit, mayor of Viviez, called the fire “shocking” and told French media outlet BFMTV: “There are indeed reasons to ask questions about the operation of electric vehicles and lithium batteries.”
The fire comes amid strong criticism in the UK to build one of Europe’s largest battery storage sites in Buckinghamshire.
More than 200 residents have raised objections to Statera Energy’s plans to build the 500-megawatt facility on the Rookery Farm fields.
The developers have planned to “remove the topsoil” and build 888 full-size shipping containers to accommodate the batteries, which will be surrounded by a 2.5m-high steel mesh fence.
The energy company also wants to build 37 inverter houses, three storage containers, seven control rooms, four fire water storage tanks, a large customer substation and a welfare unit.
Construction of the battery plant is expected to take 18 months, with residents also expressing concern about the possibility of 30 heavy vehicles passing through each day.
Buckingham Conservative MP Greg Smith told MailOnline he was “sick and tired of agricultural land being taken away from Buckinghamshire for development”.
The fire comes amid strong criticism in the UK to build one of Europe’s largest battery storage sites in Buckinghamshire.
Campaigners said they visited this Yorkshire site to see what it would be like.
More than 200 residents have raised objections to Statera Energy’s plans to build the 500-megawatt facility on the Rookery Farm fields. Pictured are residents with Deputy Greg Smith.
These huge battery storage plants could become commonplace in Britain, with hundreds of applications lodged with councils across the country, the BBC reports.
But furious campaigners say the controversial plant would damage the environment and “would certainly affect the mental health of the community”.
It also comes after the construction of HS2 and its battle against a 2,100-acre standalone solar farm in Buckinghamshire.
The Rosefield solar farm is estimated to power 57,000 homes and save 125,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide, but campaigners say it will destroy more farmland and ruin countryside views.
This follows confirmation that a fire at the Royal Courts of Justice was caused by an electric bike battery failure earlier this month.
The fire destroyed part of a ground floor warehouse and caused chaos outside and disrupted traffic in the Strand, London.
The LFB said at the time: “While e-bikes and e-scooters offer a great way to get around the city, if the batteries become damaged or start to fail, they can cause incredibly ferocious fires.”
«Lithium battery fires can spread quickly uncontrolled and within minutes can cause a large fire.
This follows confirmation that a fire at the Royal Courts of Justice was caused by an electric bike battery failure earlier this month. Members of the legal profession are seen outside the Old Bailey amid the incident.
Fire crews had to check “several buildings” on Warwick Lane
Firefighters with specialized equipment (pictured) from three fire trucks rushed to fight the fire.
The Genius Star XI was transporting a cargo of lithium-ion batteries across the Pacific Ocean, from Vietnam to San Diego, when the cargo caught fire last December.
“When these batteries are charged in common areas or escape routes, a fire can quickly block people’s ability to escape.”
Last December, a freighter carrying lithium-ion batteries was burning as it arrived in Alaska.
The crew of 19 managed to reach shore with no injuries reported, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.
The Genius Star
The fire started on Christmas Day in cargo hold No. 1, a spokesman for shipowner Wisdom Marine Group said at the time.
The crew worked quickly to release carbon dioxide into the hold and sealed it to prevent a possible explosion.