STRASBOURG, France (AFP) — An industrial waste warehouse caught fire on Sunday in France, authorities said, spewing foul smoke that gave residents headaches and caused authorities to briefly urge some 30,000 people to remain indoors.

The fire broke out in the northeastern village of Gandrange on Sunday morning, but was under control by the afternoon, local civil defense spokesperson Geraldine Chambeaudie said. The cause of the fire was not immediately clear.

Local media reported the smoke was visible some 15 kilometers away in the city of Metz.

Amandine Vecchio, 34, said she was taken aback by the smoke when she left a cinema in the nearby town of Amneville.

“It smelled terrible, and gave me a headache straight away,” she said.

She said she told her eight-year-old daughter to place her stuffed toy in front of her mouth and nose, and rang her teenage son at home to tell him to bring their dog and cats inside and close the windows.

The mayor of the nearby village of Clouange, Clement Deriu, said the smoke was causing headaches.

“From what I have been told, it’s making people nauseous,” he added.