Monday, November 18, late in the afternoon, an impressive fire broke out on the A81 motorway, near Sablé, in the direction of Rennes.
According to France Bleu, it was around 5 p.m. when the cargo of a heavy goods vehicle caught fire, causing an initial slowdown in traffic. Although traffic was able to be maintained for a few hours on the left lane, the authorities ultimately had to close the entire highway from 9 p.m., in order to allow emergency services to intervene. Traffic resumed shortly before 1 a.m. on Tuesday.
A complex intervention for firefighters
The fire in the truck, which was transporting a load of compacted cardboard boxes, made extinguishing operations particularly difficult. Vinci Autoroutes specified that this nature of the load required sustained efforts by firefighters to control the flames and secure the area. “As the cargo of the heavy goods vehicle was mainly composed of compacted cardboard, the handling and extinguishing operations were complex,” underlined the highway manager.
Fifteen firefighters mobilized to control the fire
To put out the fire, fifteen firefighters from the Sablé and Brûlon barracks went to the site. Their rapid intervention made it possible to prevent the flames from spreading, but the complexity of the operations forced the authorities to maintain the neutralization of the right lane after the partial reopening of the motorway.
This incident highlights the importance of safety measures on major roads, as well as the commitment of emergency services to guarantee the safety of users.
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