On Wednesday March 5, 2025, a large-scale rescue operation was mobilized at the Arches paper mill in the Vosges region, following the detection of an anomaly on tanks containing chemical substances. More than thirty firefighters, including chemical risk specialists and police officers, were dispatched to assess the situation and secure the site.
Abnormally swollen tanks
The alarm was sounded in the early afternoon after two tanks, each with a capacity of one cubic meter, containing industrial solvents, were received. According to information relayed by Vosges Matin the containers showed unusual swelling, raising concerns about a potential chemical reaction.
The employees of paper mill specializing in decorative papers owned by Munksjö and in art and publishing papers owned by the Fila group quickly alerted their management, who contacted the solvent supplier. The latter confirmed that such deformation was not normal and required immediate assessment.
A 50-metre security perimeter established
As soon as the emergency services arrived, a 50-meter safety perimeter was set up around the suspect tanks located outside. Despite these precautionary measures, the mill's operations were not interrupted, and no employees were evacuated, according to France 3 Régions .
Firefighters took readings and carried out analyses to determine the nature of the potential risk. After checking, no leaks or toxic fumes were detected. Initial analyses revealed that no chemical reactions were taking place, and that, a priori, they may have heated up, which could have caused expansion.
The two tanks have been returned to the paper mill, which will be able to use them as usual, according to the manufacturer Vosges Matin.
