Nearby buildings were evacuated and local schools were closed on Friday after a fire broke out at a rubbish depot in Pomezia, south of Rome, causing a giant plume of black smoke to billow above the town.
In a tweet, fire brigade ordered Pomezia residents to keep their windows closed while they scrambled to put out the blaze at the depot containing plastics, paper and other recycling materials.
Pomezia mayor Fabio Fucci ordered the evacuation of all schools within a two-kilometre radius of the incident and issued a temporary ban on outdoor sports and "other planned outdoor events".
The local health authority advised residents to avoid going out "unless strictly necessary" and to wash locally produced fruit and vegetables "with great care".
No injuries were reported as a result of the fire, emergency services said,
It is not yet clear what started the blaze at the Eco-X depot on the outskirts of Pomezia, some 30 kilometres south of the Italian capital.
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