seven hydrogen buses destroyed by fire in a depot in Danjoutin

Seven hydrogen buses were destroyed after a fire in a depot in Danjoutin (Territoire de Belfort), which led to the temporary confinement of local residents, the prefecture announced on Thursday, January 2.

The fire started around 2:20 a.m. in the night from Wednesday to Thursday, said the prefecture, which activated its departmental operational center, in a press release. The fire was extinguished at 8:30 a.m., she added. No injuries were noted.

Atmospheric analyzes were carried out and their result, negative, could have led to the end of the confinement of local residents. The fire also had no consequences on the drinking water network and “no marker currently suggests that there could be a major impact on the environment”according to state services in the department.

Belfort, French capital of the hydrogen sector

Optymo buses, like the seven which were destroyed by the fire, allow you to travel in the Territoire de Belfort. They are the property of the Joint Public Transport Union of the Territoire de Belfort. Danjoutin is a small town of around 3,000 inhabitants on the outskirts of Belfort.

According to the regional daily The Republican Eastwhich talks about a fire ” impressive “local residents, including in a town located 8 kilometers from the site, heard explosions during the night then saw smoke emerging. The origin of the incident is currently unknown.

Belfort, which dreams of becoming the French capital of the hydrogen sector, launched, in the summer of 2023, its first hydrogen-powered electric buses for its public transport, with the aim of equipping half of its fleet with them by to 2025.

The unit cost of a bus amounts to almost 700,000 euros, compared to around 280,000 euros for a diesel bus. The hydrogen recharging station which adjoins the depot would not have been affected, according to The Republican East.