100 firefighters in action: hours of smoldering fire on nuclear submarine in Toulon

A nuclear submarine in southern France burned for hours before a hundred firefighters managed to bring the smoldering fire under control.

100 firefighters in action: hours of smoldering fire on nuclear submarine in Toulon

A nuclear submarine in southern France burned for hours before a hundred firefighters managed to bring the smoldering fire under control. According to the Navy Prefecture, there should be no danger from radioactive radiation. It is not the first fire on a nuclear submarine in Toulon.

Hundreds of firefighters extinguished a smoldering fire on a nuclear submarine in the southern French port city of Toulon. As the naval prefecture announced, insulation material apparently caught fire in a food storage room in the bow of the submarine on Monday. The fire brigade brought the smoldering fire under control after several hours, and there is no danger from radioactive radiation.

A major fire broke out on the nuclear submarine "La Perle" in June 2020 when it was being repaired in the military port of Toulon. After extensive refurbishment work, it has been back in Toulon since October 2021 to complete repairs, in particular on the interior.

The cause of the smoldering fire is still unclear. A prefectural spokesman said the reactor powering the boat was shut down. Toulon is the largest military port in France and the base of the French fleet in the Mediterranean.