A massive fire broke out Monday afternoon at a major waste management facility in Paris, sending enormous plumes of thick black smoke billowing over the French capital and triggering large-scale emergency response efforts.
The blaze erupted around midday at the Syctom waste sorting centre, located in the Boulevard de Douaumont area of the city’s 17th Arrondissement. The fire quickly escalated into an inferno, with eyewitness footage capturing flames engulfing the structure and giant clouds of smoke rising high into the Parisian skyline—visible from the suburbs all the way to the Eiffel Tower.
Initial reports indicate the fire may have started in the basement level of the facility. As of now, the cause of the blaze remains under investigation.
More than 200 firefighters and 60 fire engines, including two aerial platforms, were deployed by the Paris Fire Department in a desperate effort to contain the blaze. Officials confirmed that all staff had been successfully evacuated, and there were no injuries reported at the time of publication.
The fire has not yet been brought under control and has already led to the closure of a nearby ring road in both directions, severely impacting traffic in the area. Authorities have urged residents to avoid the scene and allow emergency services to operate safely.
In a public alert, Paris firefighters warned:
“A major fire is currently underway on Boulevard de Douaumont in #Paris17. Avoid the area to let emergency services do their work. Residents, stay cautious.”
Dramatic images flooded social media, with many mistaking the towering black smoke for an oncoming storm. Malika, a tourist from Toulouse standing near the southern edge of the Champ-de-Mars, told *Le Parisien*:
The incident sparked widespread panic, drawing comparisons to the devastating Notre-Dame Cathedral fire that occurred almost exactly five years ago.
On April 15, 2019, the world watched in horror as a massive fire engulfed Notre-Dame Cathedral, destroying the historic spire and much of the roof. Firefighters battled the flames for hours to save the medieval Gothic structure, ultimately preserving its bell towers and treasured relics.
The incident prompted a global wave of solidarity and financial support, with more than €1 billion raised in donations. After years of painstaking restoration, including rebuilding the wooden “forest” structure and a replica of the original spire, the cathedral officially reopened on December 7, 2024, in a nationally televised ceremony attended by French President Emmanuel Macron.
The Syctom facility where Monday’s fire erupted is a state-of-the-art waste sorting centre that opened in June 2019. According to its official website, Syctom is Europe’s largest public operator in domestic waste management, processing over 2.3 million tonnes of household waste each year from more than six million residents in the Île-de-France region.
The facility is designed to handle garbage collected from over 900,000 Parisians, sorting and preparing recyclable materials for further treatment.
While Paris battled this major blaze, Brazil was grappling with its own disaster. In Santa Catarina, a flammable tanker truck carrying ethanol overturned and exploded on a highway, igniting a devastating chain-reaction fire that engulfed dozens of nearby vehicles.
Shocking CCTV footage captured the moment the tanker erupted in a massive fireball, highlighting the dangers of transporting hazardous materials. Authorities in Brazil are investigating the cause of the accident, which has sparked concern over highway safety regulations.
