Leaking Oil Ignites Massive Blaze at Italian Plastics Plant

Oil leaking from machinery ignited Saturday afternoon at a plastics plant in northern Italy, a government Twitter account states.

About a dozen workers were on duty at the Gallazzi Spa factory in Gallarate when the fire broke out. Local media reports that workers were assembling a machine called a calendar, a series of hard pressure rollers used to smooth a sheet of plastic.

Reportedly, a jet of hydraulic fluid released by the machine ignited, forcing workers to evacuate the building. A rising column of smoke was visible for miles.

Of critical concern to firefighters was a stockpile of 16,000 liters of oil stored inside the plant.

City officials urged residents to shelter-in-place, concerned that burning polyvinylchloride (PVC) could release dangerous dioxins. However, air monitoring revealed no serious concentrations.