ArcelorMittal closes Fos-sur-Mer blast furnace after major fire

In the early morning of October 8, a large-scale fire broke out at the ArcelorMittal plant in Fos-sur-Mer, one of France's largest steel mills. The fire started on two conveyor lines delivering raw materials to the steelmaking plant and quickly spread to surrounding structures, according to local media.

Internal fire crews, with the assistance of local emergency services, fought the blaze for several hours before completely extinguishing it. Although there were no casualties, the incident caused significant damage to both mechanical and electrical systems.

According to ArcelorMittal, the fire damaged the supporting structures of the conveyors and destroyed the electrical substation, forcing the immediate suspension of blast furnace No. 2. The company said that the installation will remain offline for at least two days, although the shutdown may last depending on the results of the technical inspection. Information about the state of the blast furnace has not yet been updated.

The steelmaking plant plays a central role in the Fos-sur-Mer production chain, providing slabs for downstream rolling and finishing lines. Without it, the production flow of the entire plant is disrupted. At the moment, the site is relying on existing slab stocks, but they are expected to run out quickly if repairs take longer than expected.