FIREFIGHTERS battled against a terrifying blaze at the training base of Fiorentina last night as four people were rushed to hospital.
According to reports in Italy, the flames broke out from inside the pavilion that houses the rooms of young Fiorentina footballers at Viola Park.
The entire area was evacuated as the inferno raged throughout the night.
Four people – three boys and an adult accompanying them – were taken to hospital for checks due to exposure to the fumes.
The blaze is said to have started at around 2:15am, with Florence fire command and the Pontassieve detachment deploying 20 units on site, including ladder trucks, tankers and an air wagon.
Extinguishing operations are reported to have continued until 6:15am.
Investigations are underway to determine the cause of the fire.
Reports indicate the fire started in the C South pavilion of the training centre before quickly spreading to the hallway, damaging some doors and the ceiling.
The building has been rendered unusable after the scary incident.
A Fiorentina statement on the incident said: “During the night a fire, the causes of which are still unclear, broke out inside a room in the pavilion dedicated to the youth sector of the ‘Rocco B. Commisso’ Viola Park.
“The alarm system, emergency procedures and the preparation of the staff present ensured the rapid evacuation of the structure.
“Some people were taken to hospital for checks and accompanied by our health workers, and have already been discharged in good condition.
“The area of the pavilion affected by the fire has, at the moment, been isolated and made safe.”
The mayor of Bagno a Ripoli, Francesco Pignotti, said that the fire had caused a “night of fear” but was thankful no one was seriously hurt while giving special praise to the response of the Fire Brigade.
He said: “The images of the flames at Viola Park are terrible. A night of fear that fortunately did not cause serious damage to people.
“The three boys and the adult taken to the hospital are under observation but are fine.
“We are in contact with Fiorentina and our entire community is close to them.
“Thanks to the firefighters and the staff who intervened promptly, avoiding the worst.”
Fiorentina’s Viola Park training centre was opened in October 2023 and is the largest in Italy and one of the largest in Europe.
The site includes two stadiums which sit a total of 4,500 spectators.
They are named the Curva Fiesole, with seats 3,000, and the Davide Astori – named in tribute to the club’s late captain who died from a cardiac arrest in 2018 – which seats 1,500.
Prior to its completion, Fiorentina president Rocco Commisso said it would cost around £67million.
The facilities there include 12 football pitches, with five being grass, five hybrid, two mini-fields for children, and one for goalkeepers.
It also features four exercise facilities with more than 130 training stations and an 80m squared rehabilitation centre.
These are supplemented by dormitories with 75 rooms and 116 beds across 12 buildings in total, alongside a media centre, medical and wellness centre, a 25m swimming pool, two vascular pools, a cryotherapy facility, sauna and Turkish bath.
Fiorentina finished sixth place in the Serie A this season.
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