Fire at Naples' Ospedale del Mare hospital forces evacuation of emergency department

Fire breaks out at Naples hospital

A large fire broke out at the Ospedale del Mare hospital in Naples' Ponticelli district on the afternoon of Sunday, 21 June 2026. The blaze started in an external area and quickly spread along the insulated facade of a six-storey wing that houses the hospital's emergency department. A thick column of black smoke rose high above the building, visible from kilometres away and triggering alarm among residents and staff. The first call to the fire brigade was received at 17:26, and within minutes, three squads of firefighters were on the scene, later reinforced to four teams with around 40 personnel.

How the fire started and spread

Initial statements from emergency services indicate that the fire began from a pile of wooden pallets and discarded material accumulated near one of the hospital's departments. The dry wood ignited around 17:15, and the flames rapidly transferred to the external insulation panels of the adjacent block. The fire climbed the six-storey facade, reaching the roof, and the dense black smoke spread across the area, causing concern for patients inside. The firefighting effort involved not only manual teams but also a 14,000-litre water tanker dispatched to contain the flames.

Precautionary evacuation of emergency rooms

Because the fire was close to the Pronto Soccorso (emergency department) and the Medicina d'Urgenza (emergency medicine) unit, and because those areas contain medical oxygen cylinders, a precautionary evacuation was ordered. Patients and medical personnel were moved to other wards within the same hospital complex without any reported incidents. The hospital has eight floors, but the affected wing was the only one vacated. While the fire burned, Prefect Michele di Bari convened an emergency rescue coordination centre at the Prefecture. Participants included the fire brigade, the ASL (local health authority), the 118 emergency medical service, the State Police, the Carabinieri, and the local police command. Five police crews, four Carabinieri teams, and local police officers were also deployed to the site to manage security and traffic.

Fire contained, no injuries, clean-up begins

After an intense effort, the fire was brought under control. The hospital's internal safety systems prevented smoke from entering the wards, and no injuries or cases of smoke inhalation were reported among patients or staff. The flames were extinguished, and by late afternoon firefighters were conducting clean-up operations and structural assessments of the damaged wing. The cause of the fire remains under investigation, with the focus on the wooden pallets and waste material that first ignited. The situation is being monitored by the coordination centre at the Prefecture.