Major Fire at Paris Waste Sorting Center: Massive Plume of Smoke Rises Over the Capital

A large-scale fire broke out on the evening of Monday, April 7, at a waste sorting facility located on Boulevard de Douaumont in Paris’s 17th arrondissement, near the city’s ring road and the judicial court. A thick column of black smoke, visible from several kilometers away, quickly caught the attention of local residents, many of whom shared images on social media.

The blaze, which engulfed the entire building, mobilized around 200 firefighters and 60 emergency vehicles. As a precaution, authorities have urged the public to avoid the area to allow emergency services to operate effectively. Geoffroy Boulard, mayor of the 17th arrondissement, confirmed that all staff were safely evacuated and that no injuries have been reported. The nearby ring road is expected to be temporarily closed in both directions to facilitate emergency access.

A Key Facility Serving 900,000 Residents

The affected facility, operated by Syctom — the metropolitan agency in charge of waste management in the Paris region — processes recyclable waste from nearly 900,000 residents across several Paris districts and surrounding suburbs, including Clichy and Saint-Ouen. It handles large volumes of materials such as paper, plastic, and cardboard collected from yellow recycling bins.

According to early reports from local officials, the fire may have started in an underground duct containing paper and newspapers, although the exact cause has not yet been determined. The building’s alarm system was triggered in time, enabling a swift evacuation and preventing a potential tragedy, the mayor said.

While the site is now declared “completely destroyed,” an investigation will be launched to determine the origin of the fire. In the meantime, access remains restricted and caution is advised due to lingering smoke in the area.