The prefecture had asked residents not to open the windows because of the release of smoke. Four people were slightly injured.
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One “violent fire” touched the printing press of the Banque de France on Wednesday February 9 in Chamalières (Puy-de-Dôme), according to the firefighters contacted by France Bleu Pays d’Auvergne. It is in this printing house that the banknotes are produced. The fire is now “under control, the site has been evacuated and the employees are safe”says the Banque de France in a tweet.
A thick plume of smoke was still emerging around 10 a.m. from the buildings of the printing works on Wednesday morning. The fire broke out behind the main building. It is not known whether the ticket-making workshop was in operation.
Firefighters are on the way. Boulevard Duclaux is closed to traffic in front of the building entrance. pic.twitter.com/NoR5M0sVEu
– France Blue Country of Auvergne (@FBAuvergne) February 9, 2022
Boulevard Duclaux remains closed to traffic in front of the building entrance. The Prefect of Puy-de-Dôme, Philippe Chopin, arrived on site, indicates France Bleu.
Four lightly injured, intoxicated by the fumes, were taken care of. Twenty other people were also evacuated. About fifty firefighters are still mobilized as well as about thirty police officers. The gas agents also intervene. The departmental operational center (COD), a crisis management tool, has been activated at the Puy-de-Dôme prefecture. The prefecture had also asked the local population to stay at home and not to open the windows because of the release of smoke.
The Banque de France printing works has been located in Chamalières for more than 100 years. The Chamalières printing works produces 2.5 billion tickets each year, a move project is underway and will have to be decided in the coming months, to go to the Vic-le-Comte (Puy-de-Dôme) site.