Fire at the Bella Italia campsite in Peschiera del Garda: thirty bungalows destroyed, seven injured
Quick Look
A probably accidental fire destroyed thirty bungalows and several cars at the Bella Italia campsite in Peschiera del Garda on Sunday morning around 6am, injuring seven people, including six tourists (three minors) and a security officer, with one case of third degree burns and six intoxicated by carbon monoxide; the intervention of firefighters, carabinieri and Suem 118 lasted 11 hours, complicated by the presence of LPG cylinders, and also involved four German firefighters on holiday in the campsite, while the maxi emergency protocol put the surrounding hospitals on alert, including Borgo Trento in Verona.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
The Bella Italia campsite is one of the largest in the Lake Garda area, with over 30 hectares of extension and an estimated capacity of around 7,500 people. The structure had renewed the fire prevention system last summer, as explained by the mayor Orietta Gaiulli. On Sunday morning it wasn't full, but there was a certain presence of tourists, probably also in relation to a triathlon event taking place over the weekend in Peschiera del Garda.
Awakening of fear, Sunday morning, for the citizens of Peschiera del Garda and the guests of the Bella Italia campsite, in the municipality of Veronese. Just before 6am the alarm went off for a fire, probably accidental, which in just a few hours burned down thirty bungalows and several cars, as well as completely charring a van. "I was woken up by a terrible bang, it felt like we were at war", said one of the foreign tourists present in the structure at the time of the fire.
The intervention of firefighters and carabinieri lasted 11 hours, complicated by the presence of LPG cylinders and vehicles. With them, six Suem 118 vehicles also arrived on site, while at a territorial level the maxi emergency protocol was triggered to alert the surrounding hospitals, including Borgo Trento in Verona which contains the burns center. Assistance was provided to around twenty people, seven of whom were then taken to the hospital in Peschiera del Garda. They are six tourists, three of whom are minors, and a campsite security officer. One suffered third-degree burns to his legs, while the other six suffered carbon monoxide fumes.
However, no one was in serious condition and almost all were discharged in the hours immediately following.
Among others, four German firefighters from Dietzenbach, who had been on holiday at the campsite since Friday, also intervened in the emergency. The President of the Veneto Regional Council Luca Zaia thanked them.
The dynamics of the fire have not yet been ascertained, also because the extinguishing operations lasted until 5pm. The accidental episode seems obvious, probably originating from one of the mobile homes, but at the moment the firefighters and the police, who will discuss it in the next few days, do not exclude any hypotheses.
The Bella Italia campsite, on Lake Garda, is one of the largest in the area. It extends over 30 hectares and has a total estimated capacity of around 7,500 people: on Sunday morning it was not full, but in any case there was a certain presence of tourists, probably also attracted by a triathlon event taking place over the weekend in Peschiera del Garda. The structure, explained the mayor Orietta Gaiulli, had installed the fire prevention system just last summer.
"I believe - said the first citizen - that the interventions were very timely and avoided the worst"
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
Firefighters and police will complete their investigations into the causes of the fire in the next few days
Likely · Within days
Camping Bella Italia will implement additional fire safety measures following the incident
Possible · Within weeks
Open Questions
- What was the exact cause of the fire?
- What were the precise dynamics that led to the rapid spread of the flames?
- What checks will be carried out on the LPG cylinders and on the vehicles present?
- What will be the administrative or legal consequences for the Bella Italia campsite?
