On Sunday, a warehouse fire at a sizable produce market, which claims itself as the largest of its kind in the world and provides much of the fresh food for the French capital and the surrounding area, sent a billowing column of dark smoke towering over Paris.
As 100 police officers and 30 fire engines battled the incident at the Rungis International Market, firefighters warned residents to avoid the area in the southern suburbs of Paris.
No one was hurt, according to Capt. Marc Le Moine, a spokesman for the Paris fire department. He said that the 7,000 square meters (1.7 acres) warehouse, the size of a soccer field, had been brought under control and that there was no longer a threat of it spreading.
He stated that although the source of the fire is unknown, it would be looked into.
With more than 12,000 employees and warehouses stocked with fresh produce, fish, meats, dairy goods, and flowers from all over France and the world, the enormous wholesale market is a true town unto itself.
