The incident occurred as outgoing Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu was scheduled to meet with members of the central group following his resignation. Those present included Édouard Philippe, a longtime ally of the French President, National Assembly President Yaël Braun-Pivet, and Senate President Gérard Larcher.
The van caught fire on Rue de Varenne in Paris's 7th arrondissement, steps away from Hôtel de Matignon, the office of the French Prime Minister. According to police sources, gas canisters were inside the vehicle, raising fears of a possible explosion, which ultimately did not occur.
The fire reportedly started in equipment used to detect electrical short circuits, which then engulfed the entire vehicle. Only the awning of a nearby cheese shop was slightly damaged, and no injuries were reported.
A thick cloud of smoke was seen rising above nearby buildings. Videos shared on X show black smoke billowing from the side door of a white van belonging to Cielis, a company responsible for public lighting in Paris. The van had been parked for maintenance work, and a security perimeter was quickly established.
Paris firefighters confirmed that the flames did not spread to surrounding buildings and that the blaze was swiftly brought under control.
Hossein Amiri - ahmad shirzadian