In Bolzano a huge fire broke out in the Alpitronic plant, one of the world’s leading companies in the production of columns charging for electric cars. The property is located in via di Mezzo ai Piani. The fire broke out this morning, May 8, shortly after 9 am, in an area of the plant under construction.
The fire in Bolzano in the Alpitronic company: cloud over the city
The flames apparently started from the roof and then spread rapidly: it then rose into the sky a huge black cloud visible from several kilometers away. Cloud which, given its size, forced to close the airspace as a precaution on the city. A nearby school was also evacuated. There were no injuries or victims also because, the firefighters say, the fire broke out in an area of the plant under construction, where the warehouses are therefore empty.
The rescue
«We recommend keep doors and windows closed and to turn off the air conditioning and ventilation systems”, the civil protection message to residents. The firefighters, about a hundred, immediately rushed to the site of the fire lay pipes towards the Isarco and then pump water from the river in an attempt to put out the fire.
Kompatscher: «Areas with batteries not affected»
The president of the Autonomous Province of Bolzano Arno Kompatscher was also on site: «Luckily there were no injuries. We invite you to close the windows but the situation is under control – you said – we can already say that the parts where the batteries are located are not affected, the situation concerns the roof where work was underway.” Experts from the Provincial Agency for the Environment and Climate Protection also intervened to measure the consequences of the fire on air quality: the measurements were carried out with rapid measurement methods in the immediate vicinity of the source of the fire, in the surrounding residential areas (including the school) and at the Renon cable car station. «The first results – the Autonomous Province announced in a note – show that there was no contamination due to air movements and resulting mixing. Directly on site were not detectedfor example, unusual concentrations of HCL (hydrochloric acid), HCN (hydrogen cyanide), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and chlorine.”
Alpitronic
Alpitronic, which currently occupies over 700 people, is specialized in the production of charging stations for electric cars. Last February the Minister of Business and Made in Italy Adolfo Urso visited the Alpitronic headquarters, underlining its commitment to sustainability and the green economy and defining the company “an emblem of the model to follow”. Last April 8th, Alpitronic he represented Italy at the three-way summit with France and Germany dedicated precisely to the ecological transition.
The company: «The company’s operations are not affected»
“Alpitronic’s operations were not affected by the fire.” He communicates it the same company from Bolzano with a note in which he specifies that «the damage affected a part of the warehouse of the former “Laurin” agricultural cooperative, where some maintenance work was in progress and not yet in use». «The parties with production, research and development and administrative activities were not affected – continues the note from Alpitronic Public Relations. Office employees neighbors are safe and temporarily working from home.” “Currently – concludes the company – it is not possible to make statements on the cause of the fire or the extent of the damage”.
