Firefighters respond as a warehouse burns, which houses lithium batteries and is owned by French recycling group SNAM, in Viviez, north of Toulouse, France on Feb 17, 2024 in this image obtained from social media. — Adeba via Reuters
Firefighters in France have been battling a blaze at a storage site for some 900 tons of lithium-ion batteries, according to Le Monde newspaper.
The fire broke out Feb 17 at a warehouse owned by recycling firm Société Nouvelle d’Affinage des Métaux in the town of Viviez in Aveyron prefecture, the French newspaper reported Sunday, citing local authorities and TV reports.
Concerns about the flammability of lithium-ion batteries have dogged the global expansion of the electric-vehicle sector, although companies including Tesla Inc have argued that the issue gets unwarranted attention.
Emergency services at the French warehouse had by Feb 18 brought the fire under control but were still working to extinguish it, the Le Monde report said. – Bloomberg
