A violent fire destroyed a Promoplantes building this Thursday, December 26, a company specializing in medicinal plants in Chanzeaux, commune of Chemillé-en-Anjou (Maine-et-Loire). The incident caused significant material losses and reduced several years of harvest to ashes.
A disaster visible for miles
According to Ouest-France, around noon, thick gray smoke rose into the sky, visible more than 10 kilometers away. The fire quickly spread inside a 1,000 m² building, where tons of dried plants were stored. “It was a large part of my stock that burned. 150, 200, 300 tonnes? I don’t know, we’ll see later… I lost three years of stock,” confides Laurent Martineau, director of the family business founded more than 60 years ago and employing 11 people.
Significant resources deployed
Faced with the scale of the disaster, 60 firefighters were mobilized at the height of the intervention. Emergency services drew water directly from the nearby pond to put the fire under control. On site, firefighters were still battling the flames at the end of the day, according to a journalist present on the scene.
A business hit hard
Promoplantes, a recognized player in the medicinal plants sector, has suffered a hard blow. The company had built up these stocks over the years, and their loss represents a serious loss. Despite the destruction of part of the infrastructure, no casualties have been reported. The investigation will have to determine the precise causes of this fire.
