Paris: an impressive fire occurs near the Opéra Garnier, the closed square and the closed metro station – archyde

Thick black smoke swells in the sky of the 2nd and 9th arrondissements of Paris this Saturday morning. Close to the Opéra Garnier, boulevard des Capucines, the one-story windows were adorned with impressive orange flames, quickly brought under control: the disaster appeared to be contained this Saturday at midday. He did not make a victim.

VIDEO. Paris firefighters extinguish an impressive fire near the Opéra Garnier

The firefighters, however, remain “very mobilized”, tells the Parisian Captain Florian Lointier, in charge of communication within the Paris fire brigade. “There is always smoke and the risk of propagation is always real to the upper floors and to the adjacent levels”, he specifies, specifying that the fire “can start again through the ventilation ducts”.

Opera metro station closed to the public

A security perimeter has been established, leading to the closure of the entire Place de l’Opéra, which will remain closed to traffic “for the next 3 to 4 hours,” said Captain Florian Lointier. The Opera metro station, located on the same square, is closed. Some 150 passers-by were evacuated.

Shortly before noon, a light smoke still escapes from the building and traces of black soot reveal the scars of the disaster above three windows. According to Captain Florian Lointier, “the fire broke out on the 3rd floor of a building which has seven”, shared between offices and homes. “The apartments were empty this morning,” he says.

The fire took in 17-19 boulevard des Capucines, opposite the Café de la Paix, in a building that houses the Benetton department store and the Five Guys fast food outlet on its ground floor. The fire required the mobilization of 46 fire engines on site.

Five fire hoses are in operation, specifies Florian Lointier. The cause of the incident remains to be determined. The central laboratory of the Prefecture of Police is on site to collect the first elements of the investigation.

Opera metro station closed to the public

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