In Sabbionara di Avio, in the province of Trento, a fire of enormous proportions hit the Monte Stivo agricultural company, one of the largest livestock farms in Vallagarina. Around 5.30pm yesterday, Monday 2 March, an agricultural vehicle used to feed livestock caught fire inside the stable. Within minutes the flames engulfed the entire structure.
According to initial reconstructions, the fire spread with impressive rapidity from the mixing wagon pulled by a tractor, fueled by the hay and feed present in the large tank. The driver managed to save himself, but there was no escape for hundreds of animals. The column of black smoke, very high and dense, was visible from the provincial road and even from the A22 Brennero motorway.
One hundred firefighters and two hours of intervention
The alarm went off immediately. The volunteer firefighters of Avio arrived on site, followed by the bodies of Rovereto, Mori, Ala, Arco and Brentonico, as well as the vehicles of the permanent force of Trento. In total, around 100 firefighters worked tirelessly for over two hours to put out what is already being defined as one of the most devastating fires in recent years in Trentino.
The operations were complex. The flames had already compromised much of the farm’s structure, making it difficult to access and rescue the livestock. Only part of the bulls were evacuated in time. For the rest of the animals it was a real massacre. According to an initial assessment, out of a total of 800 animals, the losses reached 250-300 specimens, while the other animals were “sent to other facilities to finish the breeding cycle”.
Police and medical forces also intervened on site with two ambulances, activated as a precaution. Fortunately no one was injured or poisoned, but the real tragedy concerned the poor animals trapped in the stable. For safety, the municipalities of Ala and Avio have received an invitation to keep the windows closed.
Enormous damage and investigations into the causes
The damage from the fire is still being quantified, but it appears extensive and the most striking is the atrocious death of hundreds of animals. The Monte Stivo company represented one of the most important agricultural structures in the area.
The causes of the fire are being investigated by inspectors from the permanent corps of Trento. The main hypothesis remains that of a short circuit or overheating of the agricultural vehicle which would have triggered the fire. Technical investigations will precisely establish the origin of the tragedy.
A huge disaster for those who work there, but let’s not forget that hundreds of lives were lost. Before being part of a production system, they were living beings. Their sudden death reminds us of how fragile the balance between human activities and animal life is, especially in intensive contexts where everything is concentrated in a few spaces.
In similar situations, time is the main enemy: minutes are enough for a fire to transform a structure into a trap. When we talk about “chiefs” or “cattle” we risk forgetting that behind those words there are sentient creatures, capable of feeling fear and stress. Because beyond the numbers and insurance, there remains the weight of broken lives that cannot be replaced as simple material goods.
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