It was just after four on Wednesday night when a fire broke out in a two-storey building in Via Mantegna, in Formigine.
The flames broke out from a room of the apartment on the ground floor, presumably the kitchen, and the smoke quickly invaded the entire building, blackening the wall overlooking Via Allegri. The firefighters, who arrived from Sassuolo with sirens blaring, managed to contain the fire, and thanks to the support of the ladder truck they also evacuated the people trapped on the upper floors.
Four residents were saved by the firefighters, all of whom were immediately rescued by the 118 health workers and transported to the Baggiovara hospital. The tenants of the second floor, an 81-year-old man and a 74-year-old woman, were initially transferred to Sassuolo Hospital for further checks, and were then discharged yesterday afternoon. Resignation expected today also for the 41-year-old who lives on the first floor of the building, while the 41-year-old who was on the ground floor at the time of the fire is still hospitalized in intensive care at Vaio Hospital (Fidenza).
The man, initials RSL, underwent oxygen therapy in a hyperbaric chamber following the intoxication, which from initial investigations appears to be due to the inhalation of fumes but not carbon monoxide. The next few hours will be essential to check for any permanent damage, but at the moment the 41-year-old does not appear to be in danger of his life. However, the prognosis remains reserved.
The investigations were entrusted to the Carabinieri, who arrived on site immediately after the incident and secured the building, declaring it temporarily unusable. The exact dynamics of the fire are still to be clarified, but from the first investigations it seems that arson can be ruled out.
The joint intervention of the rescuers prevented the fire from spreading. The neighbors, who woke up to find out what had happened, were worried about the health conditions of the building’s tenants: “We know who lives in the building, they are all good people, we hope they can recover soon” they said, adding that they hope “to see them return to their homes soon”.
Giulia Parmiggiani Tagliati
