Industrial Fires Threaten Communities in Italy’s Pomezia and Vicopisano

A fire broke out at an open‑air timber depot on Via Foligno in Torvaianica, Pomezia, near Rome. Thick black smoke was visible and the blaze burned plastic material as well as wood. The mayor ordered the immediate closure of doors and windows within a 200‑metre radius and activated the local emergency coordination centre (C.O.C.) for 24 hours. Firefighters worked through the night to contain residual hotspots, and no injuries were reported.

Around the same time, a separate blaze erupted at the Delca Energy waste‑treatment plant in Vicopisano, province of Pisa. An estimated 2,500 tonnes of mixed plastic waste ignited, producing a column of smoke up to 800 metres high. The fire was contained after overnight fighting, and all plant staff were evacuated safely. Local mayors imposed strict outdoor‑activity restrictions and closed schools, while fire‑department officials began air‑quality monitoring and soil‑ and water‑sampling to assess any pollutant fallout.