At the Maco company

Difficult search for the cause of the major fire

The fire caused severe damage to the company hall.(Bild: Markus Tschepp)

CID investigators want to clarify the source of ignition for the major fire at fittings manufacturer Maco on Friday night. However, the circumstances and the severe damage to the production hall are making the search for clues more difficult.

Only since Saturday afternoon, more than 24 hours after the "fire out", have the specially trained fire investigators from the State Office of Criminal Investigation been able to do their work and search for the cause of the major fire in the Maco factory hall. The reason is the badly damaged hall. Due to the risk of collapse, it was initially not possible to enter the production rooms.

It was only on Saturday that a structural engineer released parts of the hall: "In the area where the colleagues from the LKA suspect the cause", explains Stefan Karner from the police press office. However, the experts had to do without a helping nose - a service dog could not be used due to the leaked chemicals. Instead, a fire expert from the Federal Criminal Police Office is supporting the investigation.

While the police search for the cause, the clean-up work continues: as reported, around 60,000 liters of acid escaped in the course of the fire - in particular nitric acid and hydrochloric acid. A specialist company was commissioned to deal with the chemicals. According to the municipal authorities, acid also leaked into the soil and the sewage system. Weeks or months of excavation and pumping out work are to be expected, the "Krone" was told.

The total amount of damage cannot yet be estimated - but an insurance claim in the millions is to be expected. The consequences for the employees affected are also still unclear. Maco has only announced that "procedures and processes" are being "rescheduled" within other locations. The Salzburg Chamber of Labor has set up its own hotline for the many Maco employees.