Tuesday 21 September 2010

The Fire at Avoine

What fire at Avoine you may ask - and where is Avoine anyway?

On Thursday last week we were in Chinon, visiting the newly restored chateau. There was a tower of smoke visible from the ramparts, which is unusual. Usually around Chinon the most visible feature is a tower of steam from the nuclear power station.

Reading the "Nouvelle Republique" on Friday gave us our answer. An oak drying machine at "Chêne de France" had caught fire, and " Une épaisse fumée noire est venue se mêler aux panaches du centre nucléaire de production d'électricité (CNPE) d'Avoine" (thick black smoke mingled with the steam from the nuclear power station).

Two people were injured in the fire, which was attended by 73 pompiers (professional and volunteer). On Friday there were a couple of smaller outbreaks which were seen to quickly.

The second question is easy to answer: it's here.

Simon

2 comments:

Ken Broadhurst said...

These days, we can see the steam plume from the St-Laurent-des-Eaux nuclear power station from our vineyard. And St-Laurent is 60 km/35 miles distant, on the other side of Chambord. I think it's so visible because of the cold dry mornings we are having right now.

Jean said...

Avoine is a nice little village. We stayed in a lovely little gite there several times and often wondered what would happen if there was a problem at the nuclear power station. When we first stayed there you could take a guided tour of the site. That was stopped after 9/11.

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