Smoke from France industrial waste fire confines 30,000 indoors

A French Civil Security Dash 8 firefighting aircraft drops fire retardant, while firefighters continue to battle a wildfire near Montfort-sur-Argens, near Correns, in the Var department, as drought conditions worsen following a heatwave and water shortages across much of France, August 1, 2026. REUTERS/Manon Cruz 03 Au

An industrial waste warehouse caught fire in northeastern France on Sunday, spewing foul smoke that gave residents headaches and caused authorities to briefly urge some 30,000 people to remain indoors.

Local media reported the smoke was visible some 15km away from the site of the fire.