A big scare for the residents of a building located in the 19th arrondissement of Paris. According to the newspaper The Parisian, it was around 1:15 a.m. this Saturday, October 7, 2023, when the alert was given. Located at 68 avenue de Flandres, a five-story apartment building was on fire. The fireplace, located on the second floor, required the intervention of numerous firefighters. These are not less than 156 firefighters and 53 engines from 26 different fire stations who were dispatched to the scene. Faced with the scale of the situation, an important system has been put in place. First of all, a security perimeter was decided from the corner of Avenue des Flandres and Rues de Soissons and Mathis, in order to repel the few curious night owls. Finally, thanks to their scales, the fire soldiers managed to rescue around 12 people. They then took care of six additional residents with superficial burns and smoke inhalation, including an eight-month-old infant.
Five injured by smoke poisoning
For the moment, the causes of the fire remain undetermined. The apartment that started the fire was completely destroyed. Despite the scale of the fire and thanks to the professionalism of the Paris firefighters, the human toll was light. Five people were poisoned by the fire. They were all taken to the surrounding hospitals of Lariboisière (18th century), Tenon (20th century) and Robert Debré (19th century). A total of 17 tenants were welcomed into the neighboring Mathis gymnasium before being relocated. Facts which recall the fire on Avenue Choisy. On Friday September 15, 2023, a building in the 13th arrondissement of Paris caught fire and led to the intervention of around a hundred firefighters. Faced with these events, it is better to take precautions by respecting a few basic rules. To avoid any risk of domestic fire, it is necessary to check gas installations as well as aging appliances, which are likely to cause short circuits. Also, it is recommended that smokers extinguish their cigarettes before throwing them away in order to avoid starting fires.