This morning, Thursday 27 November, a violent fire broke out in the Fedrigoni paper factory in Riva del Garda, in the Varone area. The flames started around 9:00 from a warehouse located under the roof of the building, reaching the upper part of the structure. A dense cloud of smoke rose into the sky, visible even from a great distance.
A worker carrying out maintenance work on a sheath was slightly intoxicated, but his condition does not cause concern. All the staff present were evacuated immediately and the vehicles arriving for deliveries were moved away from the square.
The rescue intervention was massive: the permanent firefighters of Trento arrived on site, together with the volunteer teams from Alto Garda, Mori, Arco and Molina di Ledro. Operations focused on containing the flames to prevent them from spreading to other portions of the plant.
The area was closed to traffic and patrolled by the police to ensure safety. The mayor of Riva del Garda, Alessio Zanoni, notified while he was in a meeting, immediately went to the site of the fire to closely monitor the operations.
Appa technicians were also present, tasked with verifying any environmental impact and monitoring air quality, given the size of the cloud which has caused concern among residents and commuters.
According to initial assessments, the damage reported to the plant would be substantial. Despite the alarm and the moment of tension, the timeliness of the evacuation and the intervention of the emergency services avoided more serious consequences: there were no serious injuries.
