Blaze in Bolzano: Alpitronic warehouse goes up in flames

According to local media reports, the fire started at around 9:20 a.m. on Wednesday inside Alpitronics’s warehouse. By midday, the fire brigade announced it “largely controlled the fire” and prevented it from spreading to other production halls.

The cause of the fire has yet to be established. However, the Austrian broadcaster ORF, among others, writes that staff and equipment were unaffected since the hall stood empty. 

Local media cite Alpitronic boss Philipp Senoner saying he was “shocked” but adding that it looked worse than it was.

The fire had resulted in a cloud of smoke so immense that the airspace over Bolzano had to be closed. In addition, several nearby buildings in Bolzano were evacuated, and neighbours were asked to keep windows and doors closed.

Alpitronic also issued a brief statement by midday, confirming that” Fortunately, no people were injured”. The fire brigade continues extinguishing works. The company added that the fire would not affect its business activities. While parts of the building were “significantly damaged”, these were not in operation. Hence, production, research & development, and office activities are unaffected.

The employees from the neighbouring wing are safe and are working from home until further notice. Alpitronics cannot comment on the cause of the fire or the damages. “We are awaiting the authorities’ investigations. As soon as new information is available, we will provide an update on the situation”.

Bolzano is Alpitronic’s original HQ, with newer offices now open in Italy, Germany, and the USA. The company was founded in 2009 to develop power electronics and launched the first fast charging station in 2017. Since then, the Hypercharger devices have become some of the most popular high-power charging stations.

Press info via email.

stol.it, tirol.orf.at (both in German)