Emergency services battled a major fire at the FAM S.A. facility in Oborniki, Poland, on Tuesday, prompting an urgent safety alert regarding potential chemical contamination of the nearby Warta River.
Large-Scale Emergency Response
Emergency services received reports of the fire in Oborniki, Greater Poland, shortly after 2:00 PM. At the height of the operation, 60 fire units and 250 firefighters were deployed to contain the blaze.
The fire covered an area of 5,000 square meters, destroying a hall belonging to FAM S.A., a company specializing in anti-corrosion protection for steel structures. Firefighters managed to prevent the blaze from spreading to neighboring buildings, bringing it under control by approximately 5:30 PM.
Chemical Hazard Assessment
Specialized chemical and environmental rescue units from Poznań and Piła have been deployed to the site. Officials are currently collecting samples and assessing the impact of acid leaks originating from storage tanks inside the damaged facility.
River Contamination Warning
The Government Security Centre (RCB) issued an alert after 6:00 PM for residents of the Oborniki district, warning of potential contamination of the Warta River. Authorities have advised the public to avoid all activities near the river, particularly fishing and recreation, due to concerns that water used to extinguish the fire may have entered the waterway.
This follows an earlier RCB alert issued to residents of the Oborniki and Poznań districts regarding heavy smoke generated by the fire.
