After the major fire at the machine tool manufacturer Emco in Hallein on Tuesday evening, the fire department was still on duty on Wednesday morning. "We are still busy with extinguishing operations and putting out embers," said Hallein fire chief and operations manager Sebastian Wass to the APA. However, the environmental alert for Hallein and the neighboring communities could be lifted during the night.

Extinguishing operations after major fire continue

On Wednesday, around 20 helpers from the Hallein fire department were still on duty. The hall where the fire broke out on Tuesday at around 5:00 p.m. is completely destroyed according to Wass. Part of the roof had collapsed in the evening. However, the spread of the flames to the surrounding company buildings could be prevented, "these are at most slightly damaged."

The fire department had issued the highest alert level on Tuesday. Around 300 firefighters with 49 vehicles from the entire area - including from the state capital and neighboring Bavaria - were on duty. Several extinguishing lines were laid from the Königsseeache to the company premises and a so-called tank shuttle service with tank fire trucks was set up. The firefighters opened parts of the roof to be able to extinguish the fire. Fortunately, according to fire department spokesman Rupert Unterwurzacher, there were no injuries. The black column of smoke rising from the fire was still visible from the city of Salzburg.

Environmental alert lifted during the night

The residents of Hallein and the neighboring communities of Oberalm, Puch, and Anif were urged via the mobile alert AT-Alert late in the afternoon to keep windows closed and leave areas where smoke nuisance is noticeable due to the heavy smoke development. At midnight, the state finally gave the all-clear.

How production at Emco will continue was not yet known on Wednesday morning.

(APA/Red)

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