Fire breaks out in Edge Autonomy drone production plant in Marupe

RIGA - On Tuesday, a fire broke out in Edge Autonomy unmanned aircraft production plant in Marupe.

Brigades of the State Fire and Rescue Service (VUGD) are working on the site, and local residents are asked to close windows and doors and protect themselves from smoke.

LETA learned from VUGD that a call about the fire in a production plant was received after 15:00 on Tuesday. Firefighters arrived and saw an open flame spreading fast in the plant and creating a lot of smoke.

Almost 50 firefighters were involved in the extinguishing works.

Shortly after 19:00, firefighters contained the fire, but works on the site still continue.

A two-storey production building with a floor space of 600 square meters and the products placed next to the building in an area of 20 square meters were on fire. Three cars have been also damaged.

According to medics, two people have been hospitalized, while one person received medical assistance on the spot.

The police will investigate he fire, LETA learned from the Interior Ministry. A criminal procedure has been started.

Riga airport representative Ilze Salna told LETA that one of the airport's five firefighter brigades was engaged in the extinguishing works - it has the only such firefighting car with a container carrying 35 tons of water. The airport's operations are not affected by the fire.

Edge Autonomy representatives confirmed that the fire has broken out in the plant, but did not comment further on the case.

Edge Autonomy (formerly UAV Factory) manufactures unmanned system technologies delivered to government, commercial and academic clients in almost 70 countries.

In 2021, Edge Autonomy posted EUR 8.661 million in turnover and earned EUR 546,356 in profit, according to Firmas.lv.

The company was established in 2009 and has a share capital of EUR 1,041,505. The company belongs to US company Edge Autonomy Holdings, LLC.