Valencia, Spain - massive fire in residential tower block

StrawbsM

https://twitter.com/volcaholic1/status/1760727043866808585?s=46&t=IY-y8V-cxTAz1djkZYvB6A

Fingers crossed all have been evacuated

Livestream in Spanish

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZGeAqoEcp/

StrawbsM

My worst nightmare

https://twitter.com/mqguardiacivil/status/1760730560186732694?s=46&t=IY-y8V-cxTAz1djkZYvB6A

Translation: A large fire is destroying part of a 14-story building in the Campanar neighborhood, Valencia. The first fuse was lit around 5:20 p.m. and, according to one of the residents, "there are neighbors who have not yet been able to leave."

Oscar_Madison

Very sad. Number of total victims unknown at this stage but may they RIP.

I know surveys in Ireland took place on buildings over 6 stores and dozens were found to need work around cladding amongst other issues.

But a lot of our apartment blocks are less than 6 stories- whilst there doesn’t appear to be the same level of concern around combustible cladding on Irish built properties, hopefully some clear reassurance on this issue will be forthcoming from ministers over the coming days

mrslancaster

Terrible tragedy. Fires in tower blocks, be they residential or commercial, is a major reason to restrict building heights imo. If a building is max 5/6 stories, occupants have some hope of rescue should a fire start, as fire-fighting equipment can reach them. (Having said that, the stardust building was only a single storey).

RIP to the victims.

StrawbsM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121806210#Comment_121806210

The wind didn’t help yesterday but it quickly spread to the adjacent building too. In some of the videos you could see flames floating in the air. Would that have been the plastic awnings that many balconies in Spain have?

Oscar_Madison

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121806908#Comment_121806908

It might have been; I haven’t watched the videos; but needless to say, even if some plastic awnings caught fire, proper fire proof or very resistant cladding would have prevented this.

Atlantic Dawn

Shocking how quick it spread, the cladding certainly helped the spread, saw this video which I believe is where it all kicked off from...

https://www.tiktok.com/@apuntmedia/video/7338521451470818593

StrawbsM

https://twitter.com/stevedude68/status/1761018357128556787?s=46&t=IY-y8V-cxTAz1djkZYvB6A

Just like @mrslancaster, I couldn’t live in a tower block either

JP Liz V1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121807559#Comment_121807559

Would the developer be liable?

RIP the victims

StrawbsM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121809258#Comment_121809258

I’m unsure. Looks like those buildings were built long before 2019 and so the materials used may have met building regs. If the building was then sold on, would it be the developers responsibility anymore if everything was above board at the time?

Barna77

Developers went bust on the property crash of 2008.

Yes, the cladding material used is, so far, the main line of investigation. This fire has been compared to the one in London in 2017. Also the wind helped spread it so fast, like in about 20 minutes the fire had spread all over the facade.

9 casualties, and one person missing. 4 of the dead were one family, parents and two young kids (15 day baby), trapped in the bathroom as they couldn't manage to escape their apartment.

RIP

Podge_irl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121806839#Comment_121806839

Fire-fighting equipment can reach higher than 5 or 6 stories, and it's a terrible reason to restrict building height anyway.

It would seem on the outset that cladding again is an aggravating factor here yet again.

Spanish Eyes

I'm not certain, but a lot of Spanish homes use bottled gas canisters for cooking. Maybe not in high rise apartments though, but if they did, that wouldn't have helped.

I can only imagine the terror of people trapped. Awful stuff.

Barna77

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121810205#Comment_121810205

More modern buildings wouldn't use them. Now you'd have electrical or conventional piped gas cookers.