The production workshop of the Max Vauché chocolate factory, located in the industrial zone of Controis-en-Sologne at number 2 rue des Albizias, was largely destroyed by a violent fire on the night of December 13 to 14 2024.
Alerted at 9:30 p.m., firefighters discovered on their arrival a building engulfed in impressive flames. Significant resources were committed: under the direction of Commander Damien Borde, around fifty firefighters from the emergency centers of Controis-en-Sologne, Blois, Ouchamps, Cheverny and Noyers-sur-Cher fought against the disaster. . Around fifteen emergency vehicles were mobilized. The gendarmerie and municipal police of Controis-en-Sologne secured the scene. Gas and electricity were cut off.
The site was empty at the time of the disaster
As midnight approached, although the flames appeared to be extinguished, thick smoke still emerged from the rubble, while the construction inaugurated in October 2020 had collapsed under the effect of the heat. “The site is inaccessible as it is, we have put in place a device to cool it”explained Commander Borde. Note that the shop which welcomes the public seems to have been spared by the fire, even if the first substantiated findings cannot take place before this Saturday.
It will be up to the investigation to determine the causes of this fire, the origin of which is currently unknown. The workshop where 35 employees work during this period of high production, before the holidays, was empty when the fire broke out, indicates Emmanuel Le Goff, who runs the company with his partner Valérie Chiron. “There was no one on the site, I was alerted by the alarm which went off,” he says.
Emmanuel Le Goff (center), one of the two managers of the company, talks with Commander Damien Borde (left), responsible for directing the action of the firefighters engaged to fight the flames.
© (Photo NR, Christophe Gendry)
Several employees spontaneously gathered in front of their workplace during the evening. Despite the shock, the desire to immediately raise his head manifested itself. “We were just finishing up our holiday preparations, all our stock and packaging is here, explains Emmanuel Le Goff. We will call on our suppliers to be delivered as quickly as possible and reorganize our production on the Bracieux site. »
The company was a victim of the 2016 floods
Ironically, the historic site of Bracieux was submerged by a historic flood of Beuvron in 2016. In one night, the company suffered 500,000 euros in damage and 28 people found themselves unemployed. The chocolate factory then run by its founder had overcome this terrible blow of fate. It will once again take his successors and their collaborators a lot of resilience to overcome the blow of fate of this disastrous Friday the 13th. “We’re going to get to work and get back up.”promised Emmanuel Le Goff in front of the smoking ruins of the production workshop.
