Authorities in southern France ordered residents of Lédenon and neighbouring Meynes to stay indoors on Sunday after a fire broke out at the HydraPro chlorine plant, a facility classified Seveso high-threshold for handling dangerous substances. The blaze, detected shortly after 9:30 a.m., raised fears of toxic fumes and led the Gard prefecture to impose a confinement zone extending 825 metres around the site. The prefecture advised inhabitants to close doors and windows as northerly winds carried chlorine odours, while stressing that the smell alone did not pose an immediate health threat. Several local roads were closed and residents were told to refrain from using phone networks except for emergencies. Some 78 firefighters with 28 vehicles, backed by a specialised chemical-risk unit from the neighbouring Bouches-du-Rhône department, brought the blaze under control by mid-afternoon. No injuries were reported, and the fire entered its extinguishing phase, according to the prefecture. The plant’s internal emergency plan and the departmental operations centre were both activated. HydraPro produces chlorinated tablets for swimming-pool maintenance and had already suffered two fires in July 2023. The latest incident is likely to intensify scrutiny of safety practices at the Seveso-listed site.