A column of smoke visible for miles, intense flames: a serious fire ravaged the climbing hall in the Meyrin-Satigny industrial zone on Sunday 17 April. Genève Aéroport's Rescue and Firefighting Service (SLIA) was mobilised for this incident.
Fire on the roof of the Meyrin climbing hall
On Sunday 17 April at 3:38 p.m.: 118 is informed of a significant release of smoke on the roof of a building in the Meyrin-Satigny industrial zone. This houses the climbing hall of the Grimper.ch group. The Geneva Fire and Rescue Service (SIS) was immediately mobilised. Faced with the scale of the event and the proximity of the site, they called on the Rescue and Firefighting Service (SLIA) of Genève Aéroport for reinforcement.
Fifteen men left their barracks at the edge of the runway. Sirens blaring, they took with them fire engines equipped with powerful water pumps and vast supplies of water.
« The SLIA played the role of hydraulic reinforcement. Our specific equipment made it possible to bring more than 40,000 litres of water to the site in a very short time. Our mission was also to prevent the spread of fire to the adjacent building. » Yves Kreutzer, Head of the SLIA Department
Local mobilisation
Three hours of intense work were needed to control the flames and more to secure the premises. In total, a
hundred professional firefighters as well as volunteers from the municipalities of Satigny, Vernier and Meyrin were mobilised.
An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the incident. Part of the building is completely destroyed. No injuries were reported.