The house above has also been declared unusable, with the family being moved to a facility.
An inferno of fire and flames broke out in the early afternoon in Monopoli. In fact, a fire broke out inside the Utensiltec nautical supplies shop at the intersection of via Colonnello Camicia and via Fiume. According to initial reports, the flames started from the internal atrium, quickly spreading inside the commercial business and creating a thick cloud of smoke that also reached the adjacent buildings. The alarm was immediately raised and the homes adjacent to the business were immediately evacuated. The first to arrive on site were the firefighters from the Monopoli detachment, who however immediately realized that reinforcements were needed. And so fire trucks arrived from Putignano and Bari. An incredible deployment of forces culminating with the arrival of a 25 thousand liter tanker. The firefighters worked hard for several hours also because there was highly flammable material inside the shop and when the fire seemed to have been put out it resumed with greater vigor. Furthermore, the hardware store is on two floors and consequently the basement was not easily reachable by water and foam. Local police, state police and carabinieri closed off the area to the numerous onlookers who gathered to witness what was happening, often also hindering the work of the firefighters and the police. Enel and gas technicians also intervened to interrupt the supply and avoid hypothetical explosions and other outbreaks. Fortunately, no injuries were reported. The fire brigade technicians will now wait for the temperatures inside the business to drop to enter and try to understand what started the fire. The first hypothesis, but still to be examined, is that of a short circuit. Meanwhile, the house above the shop has been declared unusable and the municipal administration has taken steps to look for a structure to house the family who unfortunately will not be able to return to their apartment any time soon. The owners of Utensiltec are desperate as they have seen years and years of sacrifice go up in smoke. The shop was practically destroyed and the damage would amount to tens of thousands of euros. A report on the news.
