Florence, a column of smoke in the center near the Palazzo Strozzi. The fire could be arson

A tall column of black smoke has risen in the historic center of Florence in piazza Davanzati, near Palazzo Strozzi. Firefighters are intervening to tame the flames, dozens of spectators take the place with their cell phones. Some Morotini have parked near the Yab nightclub and are bugging a car.

The fire destroyed a dozen parked two-wheelers and licked, blackening, the rear exterior wall of a building that, among other things, houses the Odeon cinema and the Yab. The column of black smoke from the fire was visible from various points in the city. The firefighters had to go through a door to put out the flames, they entered an internal compartment where various types of technical equipment are located, such as electric meters and others. Police cars and municipal police are also on site.

Some witnesses speak of a stake of voluntary origin. “There was a group of kids that annoyed customers by throwing glass bottles towards the entrance of the Yab – says the owner of a tavern in Piazza Davanzati – I asked him to leave, warning them that he would call the police. A moment later I saw the flames ”. According to rumors from neighbors and restaurateurs in the area, it would not be the first time that the group of minors launched intimidation. “Broken planters, burned tables, it’s an escalation of violence. Today I didn’t see him anymore and I yelled at him to go away ”.

A version confirmed by three girls who were in the square, all minors, and who would have witnessed the trigger. “We saw a boy disconnect the fuel line of a moped and set it on fire. There was a very fast fire and we fled, we were afraid that everything would explode ”. The police have collected all the testimonies and are taking photographs of the surveillance cameras in front of the door of the nightclub.