In Salzburg

Maco: Production up and running again after major fire

The major fire at Maco.(Bild: Markus Tschepp)

Two weeks after the major fire at Maco, production is up and running again. The hardware manufacturer in Salzburg has received official approval. The extent of the damage is still unknown.

Following the major fire at the Salzburg-based hardware manufacturer Maco on the night of February 6-7, the company has now been able to resume production. During an official inspection and examination of the documents, it was determined that all requirements had been met. Maco announced on Friday that it had been able to restart production as the plant had been released for production again.

Just a few days after the fire, it was determined that a technical fault in the area of an electrolytic cleaning tank had caused the fire. An electroplating hall was severely damaged by the fire. The extent of the damage caused is still unknown, as inspections of the affected production areas are still required, according to Maco.

150 firefighters in action

The fire broke out on February 6 at around 10.30 pm. 150 firefighters were deployed. The fire was quickly brought under control and the "fire out" was announced the next morning. The operation was particularly challenging for the fire department due to the chemicals stored in the company. Containers for caustic soda, nitric acid and hydrochloric acid partially burst as a result of the fire. According to the city of Salzburg, 60,000 liters of acid and lye leaked out and mixed with the extinguishing water. Most of it ended up in the dense cellar.

A waste disposal company pumped out and disposed of the chemicals. Several employees and firefighters were slightly injured by fumes and chemical burns during the fire. In addition to its headquarters in the city of Salzburg, Maco also has production facilities in Mauterndorf and Trieben in Austria, as well as plants in Germany, Poland and Russia.