PARIS — A major fire broke out Monday at one of Paris’ largest recycling plants, near the city’s main court complex designed by famed architect Renzo Piano, sending thick black smoke across the skyline and prompting officials to urge the public to avoid the area.
Over 200 firefighters and 60 fire trucks responded to the scene in the 17th arrondissement, where flames erupted in a basement recycling zone — the most combustible part of the facility.
“The building is completely gutted and destroyed,” said Mayor Geoffrey Boulard, confirming that all 31 employees inside were safely evacuated.
The blaze occurred next to the Paris Judicial Court, a glass skyscraper inaugurated in 2018. Though the court was unaffected, a portion of Paris’s main ring road was closed to allow emergency access.
The Syctom plant, operational since 2019, handles household waste for nearly 1 million Parisians.
“The most important thing tonight is that a disaster on this scale did not have any human damage,” said Corentin Duprey, president of the site.
Authorities continue to monitor the situation as investigations into the fire’s cause begin.
