Major fire engulfs BRT logistics hub in northern Milan, prompting air quality checks

· Environment ITA

A large fire broke out Wednesday at a BRT parcel-sorting warehouse in northern Milan, engulfing one of the depot's main hangars and parked delivery vehicles that exploded in the blaze. A thick column of black smoke rose over the facility on Via Don Giovanni Minzoni, between the Bovisa and Dergano districts, and was visible from several kilometres away. Firefighters, police, and emergency medical crews responded to the scene; no casualties have been confirmed and the cause of the blaze remains unclear.

The office building adjacent to the depot was not affected. Arpa Lombardia dispatched a monitoring team to assess air quality and consulted meteorological services to track wind patterns and potential pollutant dispersal.

Separately, firefighters were also battling a blaze at a farm and restaurant complex in Lainate, outside Milan, where flames damaged a storage building and part of the roof.